GRAMMAR DETAIL

たことがない

have never done

Follows the past form of a verb to indicate that someone has never had or tried an experience up to the present.

Examples

私は外国で生活したことがない。

I have never lived in another country.

私は一度も着物を着たことがない。

I have never worn a kimono, not even once.

Structure: A verb's た form takes ことがない to express a lack of experience.
Basic usage: 私は一度も着物を着たことがない。 means never having worn a kimono up to the present.

Not doing something once and never having done it
- 昨日着物を着なかった states that no kimono was worn yesterday, while 着物を着たことがない describes experience up to now. The time range under negation differs.
Experience up to a past point
- それまで着たことがなかった means having had no such experience up to that past point. Changing the ending to なかった moves the reference point for experience into the past.