Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 9: 4/16

～た所(ところ)だJust finished doing, Was just doing

ところ can be contracted to とこ in casual conversations. In this use ところ means "stage/level/situation"

Structure

Verb［た］(1) + ところ + だ

(1) Verb［ていた］

Details

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About たところだ

In a similar way to how ところ (sometimes shortened to とこ) means 'about to (A)', or 'on the verge of (A)', when following the non-past form of a verb, when following the auxiliary verb た, ところ will mean 'just did (A)'.

To use this structure, make the past tense of any verb, and then add ところ.

While this expresses 'just did (A)', ていた may be used when you would like to express that you were 'just doing (A)'.

Caution

When the kanji form of 所(ところ) is used, it is often referring to an actual physical location, rather than a situation/standpoint. However, this is something that native speakers will sometimes mistake. Therefore, seeing the kanji form and the hiragana form are both relatively common.

Related

Examples

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    今(いま)食(た)べ終(お)わったところです。

    I just finished eating.

    服(ふく)を脱(ぬ)いでいたところに、母(はは)が部屋(へや)に入(はい)ってきた。

    My mom came into the room just as I was taking my clothes off.

    新(あたら)しいおもちゃを渡(わた)したところで壊(こわ)れた。

    Just after I gave the new toy (to someone), it broke.

    友達(ともだち)はたまたま友達(ともだち)に会(あ)う：「君(きみ)に会(あ)いたいと今(いま)思(おも)っていたところだわ！」

    Friend meets a friend by accident: 'I was just thinking that I want to see you!'

    改札(かいさつ)に入(はい)ったところで電車(でんしゃ)の扉(とびら)が閉(し)まった。

    Just as I (had) entered the ticket gate, the train doors closed.

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たところだ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (28 in total)

  • pasi

    pasi

    Is 服()を脱()いでいたところ に、母()が部屋()に入()ってきた intentionally listed under this grammar point rather than ているところだ (JLPT N4) | Bunpro – Japanese Grammar Explained this one?

  • Alphaz

    Alphaz

    It’s quite a bit confusing to see that the structure is Verb［た］(1) + ところ + だ, but not a single example sentence in description has だ and never explains that it can be omitted to sound more natural. I had to double-check with third party resources as it definitely confused me.

  • Jiggswalsh

    Jiggswalsh

    I just came across this one and when I asked some teachers they said that ぬいでいるところに would be more natural.

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