Japanese phrase
これまでに___はいましたか？ ko re ma de ni ___ wa i ma shi ta ka
Meaning
Has ___ been here before?
When to use it
Asks if a person was here before. It is a neutral question used when checking a person's earlier presence at a place.
Example dialogue
田中さんを探しています。これまでに田中さんはいましたか？ ta naka sa n o saga shi te i ma su ko re ma de ni ta naka sa n wa i ma shi ta ka
I'm looking for Tanaka. Has Tanaka been here before?
はい、昨日来ました。 ha i kinō ki ma shi ta
Yes, Tanaka came yesterday.