JLPT N4 Grammar – Difference between “Dictionary Form + ことがない” and “Past Tense + ことがない”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “Dictionary Form + ことがない” and “Past Tense + ことがない”
2. Dictionary Form + ことがない
3. Past Tense + ことがない
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comment
Q: Do “日本に行くことがない” and “日本に行ったことがない” have completely different meanings?
A: “日本に行くことがない” means that there are no plans to go to Japan in the future, while “日本に行ったことがない” means that one has never been to Japan in the past.
Dictionary Form + ことがない (JLPT N4)
[Meaning]
No opportunity to do ~
[Rule]
[V] Verb dictionary form + ことがない
[Examples]
東京は遠いから、行くことがないんです。
Tokyo is far, so I never go there.
祖母は遠くに住んでいて、あまり会うことがありません。
My grandmother lives far away, so I rarely see her.
息子はとても健康で、病院へ行くことがありません。
My son is very healthy, so he never goes to the hospital.
私の家の近くには映画館がないので、映画を映画館で見ることがありません。
There is no movie theater near my house, so I never watch movies at a theater.
“Dictionary Form + ことがない” expresses the lack of opportunity to perform a certain action.
It is used in situations where there is little or no possibility of performing that action.
[Examples]
私はコーヒーが苦手なので、飲むことがありません。
I don’t like coffee, so I never drink it.
⇒ This means there is no opportunity for me to drink coffee.
親友が引っ越したので、最近はあまり会うことがないんです。
My best friend moved away, so I rarely see them these days.
⇒ This expresses that due to the move, opportunities to meet have decreased.
Opposite Expression: Dictionary Form +ことがある
“Dictionary Form + ことがある” indicates that something happens occasionally, though not always.
[Example]
出張で東京に行くことがあります。
I sometimes go to Tokyo on business trips.
⇒ This means that while it is not frequent, there are occasional opportunities to go to Tokyo.
Past Tense + ことがない (JLPT N4)
[Meaning]
Have never experienced ~
[Rule]
[V] Verb past tense + ことがない
[Examples]
富士山を見たことがありません。
I have never seen Mt. Fuji.
外国へ行ったことがありません。
I have never been to a foreign country.
私はまだ一度も寿司を食べたことがないです。
I have never eaten sushi even once.
新幹線には乗ったことがありません。
I have never ridden the Shinkansen.
“Past Tense + ことがない” expresses the lack of past experience.
It is used when someone has never performed a specific action or has never had a particular experience before.
[Examples]
一人で旅行したことがありません。
I have never traveled alone.
⇒ This means that I have not yet had the experience of traveling alone.
まだ社長にお会いしたことがありません。
I have not met the company president yet.
⇒ This indicates that, as of now, I have never met the company president.
Opposite Expression: Past Tense + ことがある
“Past Tense + ことがある” expresses that someone has had a particular experience in the past.
[Example]
ダイビングをしたことがあります。
I have gone diving before.
⇒ This means that I have experienced diving at least once.
Let’s Compare
Which sentence is more appropriate in the following cases?
[Example ①]
まだ日本で桜を見たことがないです。
まだ日本で桜を見ることがないです。
[Example ②]
週末はゆっくりしたいから、あまり出かけることがありません。
週末はゆっくりしたいから、あまり出かけたことがありません。
Correct answers: ①見たことがない, ②出かけることがない
① “見たことがない” expresses the lack of past experience.
→ It means “I have never seen cherry blossoms in Japan before.”
② “出かけることがない” indicates that there are few opportunities to go out.
→ It means “I rarely go out on weekends.”
One more challenge!
日本料理はあまり食べたことがないけど好きです。
日本料理はあまり食べることがないけど好きです。
Here, both are appropriate.
“あまり食べたことがない” expresses having little past experience.
→ “I haven’t eaten much Japanese food before.”
“あまり食べることがない” refers to having few opportunities to eat it.
→ “I don’t often eat Japanese food.”
As you can see, “Dictionary Form+ ことがない” and “Past Tense + ことがない” have different meanings.
Understanding the context will help you use them correctly!
Summary
- “Dictionary Form + ことがない” expresses the lack of opportunity to perform a certain action.
- “Past Tense + ことがない” indicates that one has never experienced a certain action.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 行ったことがない
新しいデパートができたけど、まだ行ったことがないです。
A new department store was built, but I haven’t been there yet.
*Since this expresses that I have never been there before, “行ったことがない” is the correct choice.
A. 使うことが
最近はスマホを持つ人が増えて、もうほとんど公衆電話を使うことがありません。
Recently, the number of people with mobile phones has increased, and hardly anyone uses public payphones anymore.
*Since this indicates that there were opportunities to use payphones in the past but not anymore, “使うことがない” is the correct choice.
A. 行くことがない
昔はよくファミレスに行ったけど、最近は行くことがないなあ。
I used to go to family restaurants often, but recently, I never go.
*Since this expresses that I used to go in the past but no longer have the opportunity, “行くことがない” is the correct choice.
A. 行ったことがない
ゆみ「沖縄へ行ったことがないんですか。」
ジョン「まだ一度もありません。」
Yumi: “You’ve never been to Okinawa?”
John: “Not even once.”
* Since John is saying that he has never had the experience of going to Okinawa, “行ったことがない” is the correct choice.
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