In this lesson, you will learn essential grammar to talk about your life experiences and list examples of things you do. Mastering these patterns is crucial for narrating your past and everyday routines.
1. Talking About Experience: 「〜たことがある」 (ta koto ga aru)
To say that you have done something in the past (an experience), you use the short form past tense (the -ta form) of a verb, followed by 「ことがある」 (koto ga aru).
The structure is: Verb Short Form Past (〜た) + ことがある
This is how you say “I have the experience of doing X.”
Examples:
- 私は日本へ行った ことがあります。Watashi wa Nihon e itta koto ga arimasu.I have been to Japan (I have the experience of going to Japan).
- 私は寿司を食べた ことがありません。Watashi wa sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasen.I have not eaten sushi.
To ask someone about their experience, you simply add 「か」 at the end:
- 相撲を見た ことがありますか。Sumou o mita koto ga arimasu ka.Have you seen Sumo wrestling?
2. Listing Examples of Actions: 「〜たり〜たりする」 (tari…tari suru)
When you want to list two or more random activities you do, without listing every single one, you use the 「〜たり〜たりする」 pattern. It implies you do things like A and B, among others.
To form this, take the -ta form of the verb and add 「り」 (ri). The whole sentence ends with the verb 「する」 (suru), which can be conjugated into tenses like します (present/future) or しました (past).
The structure is: Verb A (〜たり) + Verb B (〜たり) + する
Examples:
- 週末(しゅうまつ)は、本を読んだり テレビを見たり します。Shuumatsu wa, hon o yondari terebi o mitari shimasu.On the weekend, I do things like reading books and watching TV (among other activities).
- 昨日(きのう)は、友達と会ったり 買い物したり しました。Kinou wa, tomodachi to attari kaimono shitari shimashita.Yesterday, I met with friends and did some shopping (among other activities).
3. Listing Examples of Nouns: 「〜や〜」 (ya…ya)
Similar to 〜たり〜たり for verbs, the particle 「や」 (ya) is used to list a few examples of nouns, implying that there are other unlisted items as well. It’s softer than using 「と」 (to), which suggests a complete list.
The structure is: Noun A + や + Noun B + (など)
- 「など」 (nado) means “and so on” or “etc.” and is often used to reinforce that the list is incomplete.
Examples:
- カバンの中に、本や ペン などがあります。Kaban no naka ni, hon ya pen nado ga arimasu.Inside the bag, there are things like a book and a pen (among others).
- 私は、日本語や 中国語 などを勉強しています。Watashi wa, Nihongo ya Chuugokugo nado o benkyou shite imasu.I am studying Japanese and Chinese, etc.
By using these three patterns, you can effectively communicate your life history and provide descriptive examples in Japanese!