Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 43

にほんにいったことがありますI have been to Japan

Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu

Talking about travel and experiences. Vocabulary: ryokō, kaigai, onsen, shinkansen, hikōki, pasupōto, sūtsukēsu, omiyage, shima, tomaru, keiken, tanoshimu. Key grammar: "~ta koto ga arimasu" tells your experiences up to now (whether or not you have ever done something): "Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu" (I have been to Japan). Here you use the verb "ta-form" (plain past) for the first time. The ta-form is made the same way as the te-form (ch25, ch36): change "te" → "ta" and "de" → "da": itte → itta, tabete → tabeta, nonde → nonda. "~ta koto ga arimasen" means "have never done ~". Note: before "koto ga arimasu" you use the plain "ta-form", not the polite "~mashita". English speakers tend to say "ikimashita koto ga arimasu", but "itta koto ga arimasu" is correct. Kana corner: the sound of "ta/da" and the small "っ" (itta, tomatta).

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なつやすみのりょこう— The summer holiday trip

YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、なnaつtsuやyaすsuみmiにniどdoこkoかkaへeいiきkiまmaしshiたtaかka。Mike, did you go anywhere over the summer break?
MikeはHaいi！わWaたtaしshiはwaおOきkiなnaわwaにniいiきkiまmaしshiたta。ユYuキkiさsaんnはwaおOきkiなnaわwaにniいiきkiまmaしshiたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka。Yes! I went to Okinawa. Yuki, have you ever been to Okinawa?
YukiいIいiけkeいiけkeんnでdeすsuねne！でDeもmo、「こkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsu」のnoまmaえeはwaふfuつうtsūのno「たta-けkeいi」でdeすsuよyo。「いIっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka」でdeすsu。What a nice experience! But before "koto ga arimasu" comes the plain "ta-form". It's "itta koto ga arimasu ka".
MikeあA、そうsōかka。「おOきkiなnaわwaにniいiっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka」でdeすsuねne。Oh, I see. It's "Okinawa ni itta koto ga arimasu ka", right.
YukiはHaいi！こKoたtaえeはwa、いiいiえe、まmaだdaいiっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaせseんn。でDeもmo、いiつtsuかkaいiきkiたtaいiでdeすsu。Yes! And my answer is: no, I have never been there yet. But I want to go someday.
MikeぜZeひhi！おOきkiなnaわwaのnoうuみmiはwaとtoてteもmoきkiれreいiでdeしshiたta。しShiまmaでdeたtaくkuさsaんnたtaのnoしshiみmiまmaしshiたta。You should! The sea in Okinawa was very beautiful. I enjoyed the island a lot.

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のったことがありますか— Have you ever ridden it?

KenユYuキkiさsaんnはwaしshiんnかkaんnせseんnにniのnoっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsuかka。Yuki, have you ever ridden the bullet train?
YukiはHaいi、なnaんnかkaいiもmoあaりriまmaすsu！とToてteもmoはhaやyaかkaっtたtaでdeすsu。ケKeンnさsaんnはwa？Yes, many times! It was very fast. How about you, Ken?
KenわWaたtaしshiはwaいiちchiどdoのnoっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsu。でDeもmo、ひhiこうkōきkiにniのnoっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaせseんn。I have ridden it once. But I have never been on an airplane.
YukiそうSōでdeすsuかka。わWaたtaしshiはwaかkaいiがgaいiりょryoこうkōでdeひhiこうkōきkiにniのnoっtたtaこkoとtoがgaあaりriまmaすsu。Is that so. I have been on an airplane for an overseas trip.
KenいIいiでdeすsuねne！わWaたtaしshiもmoかkaいiがgaいiにniいiきkiたtaいiでdeすsu。おOみmiやyaげgeをoかkaいiたtaいiでdeすsu。Nice! I want to go abroad too. I want to buy souvenirs.
YukiでDeはwa、こkoんnどdoいiっsしょshoにniりょryoこうkōしshiまmaしょうshō！Then let's travel together next time!

Vocabulary

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りょryoこうkō: nountrip, travel
かkaいiがgaいi: nounoverseas, abroad
おoんnせseんn: nounhot spring
しshiんnかkaんnせseんn: nounbullet train, Shinkansen
ひhiこうkōきki: nounairplane
パpaスsuポーpōトto: nounpassport
スーsūツtsuケーkēスsu: nounsuitcase
おoみmiやyaげge: nounsouvenir
しshiまma: nounisland
とtoまmaるru: verbto stay (overnight)
けkeいiけkeんn: nounexperience
たtaのnoしshiむmu: verbto enjoy

Grammar

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~ta koto ga arimasu: telling experiences

Explanation

"~ta koto ga arimasu" says "I have the experience of having done ~ before": "Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu" = I have the experience of going to Japan. The negative is "~ta koto ga arimasen" = "I have never done it yet". The question is "~ta koto ga arimasu ka". Here you use the "ta-form" (plain past) for the first time. Making it is easy: from the "te-form" (ch25 "~te kudasai", ch36 "~te imasu"), change "te" to "ta" and "de" to "da". iku → itte → itta, taberu → tabete → tabeta, nomu → nonde → nonda, suru → shite → shita. Important note: before "koto ga arimasu" you must always use the plain "ta-form", not the polite "~mashita". Thinking of English "I have gone", people tend to insert the polite form and say "ikimashita koto ga arimasu", but "itta koto ga arimasu" is correct.

Examples

わたしはにほんにいったことがあります。I have been to Japan.
しんかんせんにのったことがありますか。Have you ever ridden the bullet train?
おんせんにいったことがあります。I have been to a hot spring.
すしをたべたことがあります。I have eaten sushi.
わたしはかいがいにいったことがありません。I have never been abroad.

Kana

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ちいさい「っ」とた-けい— The small "っ" and the ta-form

Read the sentences and find the small "っ" and "da":

にほんにいったことがありますNihon ni itta koto ga arimasuitta = small っ (it-ta)
しんかんせんにのったshinkansen ni nottanotta = small っ (not-ta)
ホテルにとまったhoteru ni tomattatomatta = small っ (tomat-ta)
ほんをよんだことがありますhon o yonda koto ga arimasuyonda = voiced だ (yomu → yonda)

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なつやすみの りょこう— The summer holiday trip

のった ことが ありますか— Have you ever ridden it?

~ta koto ga arimasu: telling experiences

ちいさい「っ」と た-けい— The small "っ" and the ta-form

なつやすみのりょこう— The summer holiday trip

のったことがありますか— Have you ever ridden it?

ちいさい「っ」とた-けい— The small "っ" and the ta-form