Skip to main content
All Japanese activities

Activities: "How to discuss past experiences in Japanese with ことがある (koto ga aru)?"

By: Sachiko Dorsey

Activity 1: What's the right ta form?

Choose the right ta-form to use with ことがある transcribed koto ga aru.

  1. 私はパンダを      ことがあります。
    Watashi wa Panda o ____koto ga arimasu.
    I have seen pandas.
    Select your answer
  2. 日本の海で      ことがありますか。
    Nihon no umi de ____koto ga arimasu ka.
    Have you swum in the ocean in Japan?
    Select your answer
  3. あの人の部屋は      ことがありません。
    Ano hito no heya wa _____koto ga arimasen.
    That person’s room has never been dirty.
    Select your answer
  4. みんな      ことがある。
    Minna _____koto ga aru.
    Everyone has been a child.
    Select your answer

Activity 2: Pick the right translation

For each English sentence, pick the most appropriate Japanese translation.

  1. Mika is very healthy. She has never been sick.
    Select your answer
  2. Takashi was once a teacher in Kyoto. He taught there for 2 years.
    Select your answer
  3. Aya always turns in her homework, but there was one time when she didn’t.
    Select your answer
  4. There were times when John went to play at a park when he was little, but now all he does is play video games at home.
    Select your answer

Activity 3: Fill in the blank

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words or forms. Use the words from the word bank to help you out!

JapaneseEnglish

アルバイト transcribed arubaito

part-time

コンビニの店員 transcribed konbini no ten’in

convenience store worker

大変 transcribed taihen

tough

韓国語 transcribed kankokugo

Korean

教える transcribed oshieru

to teach

簡単（な） transcribed kantan(na)

easy

Question Text
  • Mami
    パクさんは、。
    Transcription: Paku san wa __.
    Translation: Paku-san, have you worked part-time?
  • Paku
    ええ、ありますよ。学生の頃、いろいろなアルバイトをしました。
    Transcription: Ee, arimasu yo. Gakusē no koro, iroiro na arubaito o shimashita.
    Translation: Yes, I have. When I was a student, I had various part-time jobs.
  • Mami
    そうですか。どんなアルバイトをしたことがありますか。
    Transcription: Sō desu ka. Donna arubaito o shita koto ga arimasu ka.
    Translation: I see. What kind of part-time jobs have you had?
  • Paku
    そうですねえ。 。
    Transcription: Sō desu nē. __.
    Translation: Let’s see. I have been a convenience store worker.
  • Mami
    へえ、コンビニの店員をするのは結構大変だと聞きますけど…。
    Transcription: Hē, konbini no ten’in o suruno wa kekkō taihenda to kikimasu kedo…
    Translation: I see, I hear being a convenience store worker is pretty tough…
  • Paku
    まあが、アルバイトだったので、それほどでもなかったです。
    Transcription: Mā, __ ga, arubaitodatta node, sorehodo demo nakatta desu.
    Translation: Well there are times it was tough, but because it was a part-time job, it wasn’t that bad.
  • Mami
    他にはどんなアルバイトをしたんですか。
    Transcription: Hoka niwa donna arubaito o shitan desu ka.
    Translation: What other part-time jobs have you had?
  • Paku
    。
    Transcription: ___.
    Translation: I have taught Korean.
  • Mami
    へえ、そうなんですか。パクさんは韓国語を話せるから教えるのは簡単だったでしょう。
    Transcription: Hē, sōnan desu ka. Paku-san wa Kankokugo o hanaseru kara oshieruno wa kantan deshō.
    Translation: Oh, I see. Paku-san can speak Korean, so it is probably easy to teach.
  • Paku
    それが、けど、難しい時の方が多かったです。
    Transcription: Sore ga, __, muzukashii toki no hō ga ookatta desu.
    Translation: In fact, there were times when it was easy, but there are more times when it was difficult.