Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 9: 5/16

～ている所(ところ)だIn the process of doing ~ right now/at this moment

In this use ところ means "stage/level/situation"

Structure

Verb［ている］+ ところ + だ

Details

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About ているところだ

In the previous grammar point, we learned that たところ (or ていたところ) will mean 'just did (A)', or 'was just doing (A)'. ているところ works in a similar way, but expresses that someone is right in the middle of doing something. It is regularly translated as 'doing (A) right now', or 'in the process of (A)'.

Caution

Using ているところ will indicate that someone is 'busy with (A)', and would therefore not be used when changing actions suddenly. In these cases ているところだった would be used, before the (B) phrase would further explain what happened next.

Related

Examples

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    今(いま)、映画(えいが)を見(み)ているところです。

    I am in the process of watching a movie right now.

    今(いま)、お父(とう)さんは富士山(ふじさん)を登(のぼ)っているところです。

    My dad is in the process of climbing Mt. Fuji right now.

    警察官(けいさつかん)がパトロールをしているところです。

    The police officer is in the process of doing her patrol at this moment.

    今(いま)、先生(せんせい)に聞(き)いているところです。

    I am in the process of asking the teacher right now.

    僕(ぼく)は今(いま)日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)しているところだけど。

    I am in the process of studying Japanese right now. (Annoyed that he is being interrupted)

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ているところだ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (7 in total)

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey and welcome on the community forums @Jl45

    Like @matt_in_mito said, usually in Japanese tense of the sentence is determined at the end. Like in this case, whether you use ている and ていた the meaning is the same, the interlocutor picks the tense from the context.

    Though there are cases when you are forced to use certain forms, like past form before あと or
    non-past before 前,

    By the way, read this post:

  • Scyamntic

    Scyamntic

    Indeed it does!
    いつも手伝ってくれてありがとうな！

  • ThiagoIanuch

    ThiagoIanuch

    What is the difference between ていたところだ and ているところだった?

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