there are times when, sometimes

Dictionary form plus ことがある says that something happens occasionally. With the negative form (ないことがある) it means there are times when something does not happen. It often pairs with adverbs like たまに or 時々.

Examples

• たまに朝あさご飯はんを食たべないことがあります。

  Tama ni asagohan o tabenai koto ga arimasu.

  There are times when I skip breakfast.

• 父ちちは日曜日にちようびに会社かいしゃへ行いくことがあります。

  Chichi wa nichiyoubi ni kaisha e iku koto ga arimasu.

  My father sometimes goes to the office on Sundays.

Vocabulary in these examples

• たまに occasionally
• 朝ご飯 breakfast
• 食べる to eat
• ある to exist (inanimate); to have
• 父 father (one's own)
• 日曜日 Sunday

Related patterns · Experience and habits

• 〜たことがある have done before (experience)
• 〜たばかり have just done
• 〜てばかりいる do nothing but, always be doing