been there, done that

phrase

An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is not too keen on revisiting or redoing it again.

“No, I don't wanna go paragliding. Been there, done that. I found it awful.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. idiomaticironicAn assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is not too keen on revisiting or redoing it again.

    No, I don't wanna go paragliding. Been there, done that. I found it awful.

    2 more examples

    Huntsman feints at being the Snow White retelling no one has ever seen before, but ultimately becomes the “been there, done that” of fairy-tale filmmaking.

    2012 May 31, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Review: Snow White And The Huntsman”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 30 Mar 2013

    He looked down at my résumé. “Wow, you interned at The New Yorker. Did you apply there?” ¶ “Nope.” ¶ He looked up. ¶ I gave the line a tug. ¶ “I just felt like, ‘been there, done that,’ you know? Also, I dated a few guys in the office so it would've been awkward.”

    2013, Iris Smyles, Iris Has Free Time, Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint, →ISBN, page 7

Origin

Ellipsis for "I have been there and have done that".

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 曾經滄海難為水 /曾经沧海难为水
  • 曾經滄海難為水 /曾经沧海难为水 (céngjīngcānghǎi nánwéi shuǐ)assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Dutch al gezien al gedaan
  • al gezien al gedaanassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Finnish se on nähty, kokemusta on
  • se on nähtyassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • kokemusta onassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
French déjà vu, déjà fait
  • déjà vu, déjà faitassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
German (hab ich) alles schon gemacht, ist für mich nichts neues
  • (hab ich) alles schon gemachtassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • ist für mich nichts neuesassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Greek ήταν εκεί, κάνει αυτό
  • ήταν εκεί, κάνει αυτό (ítan ekeí, kánei aftó)assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Hungarian ez nekem már nem újdonság, ez nekem már megvolt
  • ez nekem már nem újdonságassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • ez nekem már megvoltassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • nekem ez nem újassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Italian già visto, già fatto
  • già visto, già fattoassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Japanese 経験済み
  • 経験済み (keiken zumi)assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Polish nic nowego
  • nic nowegoassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Portuguese essa é velha
  • essa é velhaassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Russian я э́то уже́ ви́дел, э́то для меня́ не но́во
  • я э́то уже́ ви́дел (ja éto užé vídel)assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • э́то для меня́ не но́во (éto dlja menjá ne nóvo)assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Spanish yo lo hice antes, ya fui y volví
  • yo lo hice antesassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • ya fui y volvíassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
  • cuando tú vas yo vengo de regresoassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Vietnamese từng trải
  • từng trảiassertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic
Cite this entry
APA

been there, done that. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been%20there%2C%20done%20that

MLA

“been there, done that.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been%20there%2C%20done%20that. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “been there, done that,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been%20there%2C%20done%20that.

Source: been there, done that on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.