Once you've learned the basic uses of the た-form (past tense, completion), the next step is mastering these four extension patterns. They all build on the た-form but mean very different things:
| Pattern | Core Meaning |
|---|---|
| たことがある | Have done before (experience) |
| たまま | Remaining in a state |
| た方がいい | Better to do... (advice) |
| たあとで | After doing... (sequence) |
Let's break them down one by one.
1. たことがある — Expressing Experience
Verb た-form + ことがある → Have done... before
This pattern is specifically used to talk about past experiences — things you've done at some point in your life. Note that it uses the た-form, not the dictionary form.
Examples
- 富士山に登ったことがあります。 → I've climbed Mt. Fuji before.
- 納豆を食べたことがあります。 → I've eaten natto before.
- この料理は食べたことがありません。 → I've never eaten this dish.
Negative Form
Verb た-form + ことがない → Have never done...
- 日本に行ったことがない。 → I've never been to Japan.
- お寿司を作ったことがありません。 → I've never made sushi.
Comparison with Dictionary Form + ことがある
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form + ことがある | Sometimes do... | 朝ごはんを食べないことがある → Sometimes I skip breakfast |
| た-form + ことがある | Have done... before | 朝ごはんを食べなかったことがある → I've skipped breakfast before |
Whether the verb is in dictionary form or た-form completely changes the meaning — pay close attention to this.
2. たまま — Maintaining a State
Verb た-form + まま → While still in the state of...
たまま emphasizes that the state resulting from a completed action continues unchanged. It's often hard to translate directly — think of it as "with... still (in that state)."
Examples
- スーツを着たまま寝ました。 → I fell asleep with my suit still on.
- 帽子をかぶったまま挨拶をしないでください。 → Please don't greet people with your hat still on.
- テレビをつけたまま出かけた。 → I went out with the TV still on.
- 靴を履いたまま家に入らないでください。 → Please don't enter the house with your shoes still on.
Key Points
- The action before まま is completed, but its resulting state hasn't been undone.
- Often used in situations where someone does something they shouldn't — carries a nuance of warning or regret.
- Nouns can also precede まま: そのまま (just like that, as is).
3. た方がいい — Giving Advice
Verb た-form + 方がいい → It's better to do...
This is one of the most direct ways to give advice in Japanese. Note that it uses the た-form, not the dictionary form.
Positive Advice
- タバコをやめた方がいいです。 → You should quit smoking.
- 早く寝た方がいいですよ。 → You should go to bed early.
- 病院に行った方がいいです。 → You should go to the hospital.
Negative Advice
Verb ない-form + 方がいい → It's better not to do...
Note: For negative advice, use the ない-form, not the た-form.
- お酒を飲まない方がいいです。 → You'd better not drink alcohol.
- 夜遅くまで起きていない方がいいです。 → You'd better not stay up too late.
Comparison Table
| Direction | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive advice | た-form + 方がいい | 薬を飲んだ方がいい → You should take medicine |
| Negative advice | ない-form + 方がいい | 薬を飲まない方がいい → You shouldn't take medicine |
4. たあとで — Indicating Sequence
Verb た-form + あとで → After doing...
たあとで clearly establishes the order of two actions: do the first thing, then do the second thing.
Examples
- 課長に報告したあとで電話をかけてください。 → Please make the call after reporting to the section chief.
- この薬はご飯を食べたあとで飲んでください。 → Please take this medicine after eating.
- 宿題をしたあとで、ゲームをしてもいいです。 → You can play games after finishing your homework.
Difference from てから
| Pattern | Emphasis | Example |
|---|---|---|
| てから | From that action onward | 手を洗ってから食べる → Eat after washing hands |
| たあとで | After that action is complete | 手を洗ったあとで食べる → Eat after having washed hands |
The two are very similar and often interchangeable in daily use. However, てから implies a tighter connection in time ("wash and immediately eat"), while たあとで allows for a gap between the two actions.
Summary
- たことがある: Talking about experiences — "I've done..."
- たまま: A state that hasn't changed — "still in the state of..."
- た方がいい: Giving advice — "you should..."
- たあとで: Ordering actions — "after doing..."
All four patterns start with the た-form. Master the た-form conjugation, and you can use all four.
Practice Questions
1. Translate into Japanese: "I've been to Kyoto before."
Show Answer
京都に行ったことがあります。
Use たことがある to express past experience.
2. Complete the sentence using たまま: "He fell asleep with the window open."
Show Answer
窓を開けたまま寝ました。
窓を開ける (open the window) → 開けた (た-form) + まま + 寝ました.
3. Give one positive and one negative piece of advice about catching a cold using た方がいい and ない方がいい.
Show Answer
- 薬を飲んだ方がいいです。 → You should take medicine. (Positive advice with た-form)
- お風呂に入らない方がいいです。 → You shouldn't take a bath. (Negative advice with ない-form)