"I sometimes skip breakfast." "He occasionally comes late." — when something doesn't happen every time but does happen occasionally, Japanese uses ことがあります.
Basic Pattern
Verb dictionary form + ことがあります → Sometimes (I) do...
Verb nai-form + ことがあります → Sometimes (I) don't do...
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 朝ごはんを食べないことがあります。 | I sometimes don't eat breakfast. |
| バスで学校へ行くことがあります。 | I sometimes go to school by bus. |
| 夜遅くまで起きていることがあります。 | I sometimes stay up until late at night. |
| 約束を忘れることがあります。 | I sometimes forget appointments. |
Key point: the verb before ことがあります is in its dictionary form or nai-form — never the masu-form.
Adverbs Change the Frequency
ことがあります by itself means "occasionally" — not very often. But adding adverbs can shift the frequency:
| Adverb | Frequency | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| たまに | Rarely | たまに遅刻することがあります。 | I'm late once in a while. |
| 時々 | Sometimes | 時々忘れることがあります。 | I sometimes forget. |
| よく | Often | 朝ごはんを食べないことがよくあります。 | I often skip breakfast. |
Notice how よく can shift position. Adding よく changes the meaning from "sometimes" to "often" — a big jump in frequency.
Difference from Habitual Statements
"I sometimes don't eat breakfast" and "I don't eat breakfast" are different:
| Expression | Meaning | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 朝ごはんを食べません。 | I don't eat breakfast. | 100% never eat |
| 朝ごはんを食べないことがあります。 | I sometimes don't eat breakfast. | Occasionally skip |
The point of ことがあります is "it doesn't happen every time, but it does happen sometimes."
Examples
朝ごはんを食べないことがあります。 → I sometimes skip breakfast. 日曜日に会社へ行くことがあります。 → I sometimes go to the office on Sundays. 電車で寝てしまうことがあります。 → I sometimes fall asleep on the train. 道を間違えることがあります。 → I sometimes take the wrong road.
Summary
- Verb dictionary form + ことがあります = sometimes do...
- Verb nai-form + ことがあります = sometimes don't do...
- Add よく to mean "often," add たまに to emphasize "once in a while"
- The verb before ことがあります uses dictionary form or nai-form, never masu-form
Practice Questions
Q1. How do you say "I sometimes take a taxi to the office" in Japanese?
Show Answer
タクシーで会社へ行くことがあります。
行く (to go) + ことがあります. Verb stays in dictionary form.
Q2. What does 「朝ごはんを食べないことがよくあります」 mean?
Show Answer
I often skip breakfast.
食べないことがあります (sometimes don't eat) + よく (often) → often don't eat.
Q3. Explain the difference between 「テレビを見ません」 and 「テレビを見ないことがあります」.
Show Answer
- テレビを見ません。 → I don't watch TV. (Never watch at all.)
- テレビを見ないことがあります。 → I sometimes don't watch TV. (Usually watch, but occasionally skip.)
The first means "never do," the second means "sometimes don't do."