Been there, done that

Been there, done that is a way to say you've experienced something before. Often people expand it to been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

YouTube / iTunes / Spotify / Radio Public / Pocket Casts / Google Podcasts / Breaker / Overcast

Listen to ArtisanEnglish.jp posts & lesson intros here.



English Phrase: Been there, done that

Been there, done that is a way to say you have experienced something before.


Sometimes, people expand the expression by adding ‘the T-shirt’ at the end.

Many people like to purchase souvenirs, and a very popular souvenir is, you guessed it, a T-shirt!

You can use it with your friends when trying to make a plan for the weekend.

Hanako: What do you want to do this weekend?

Benedict: I don’t know. How about you?

Hanako: Well, we could go to Tokyo Tower.

Benedict: Nah.

Hanako: OK, how about Tokyo Disneyland, then?

Benedict: Nah, been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Besides, Disneyland will be chock-a-block with people on the weekend.

Hanako: How about we just drink beer and watch sports on TV?

Benedict: Yeah, that sounds good.

Hanako: Argh!


This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).  

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 77.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.