所Time and change
About to, just did
ところ means “place”, and also a point in time. The verb form before it tells you which stage of an action you're at.
Three stages
Same word, three moments
| Form | Stage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain present + ところだ | about to | 食べるところです |
| ~ているところだ | in the middle of | 食べているところです |
| Past + ところだ | just finished | 食べたところです |
In use
Pinpointing the moment
I'm just about to leave the house.
I'm in the middle of my homework.
I've just arrived.
I was almost run over by a car.
ところだった means something nearly happened.
Just finished
~たところ vs. ~たばかり
I've only just eaten my bento.
It literally just happened.
I just came to Japan last month.
It feels recent, even if time has passed.
In progress
~ているところ vs. ~ている
I'm just now cooking.
Paints a scene: right at this stage.
I'm cooking.
Just states the action.
As a noun
Other uses of ところ
You've come at a good moment.
Sorry to bother you when you're busy.
After an adjective, it usually takes a particle.
The station is a five-minute walk from here.
It can describe how far away a place is.
My house is an hour by train from Tokyo.
Check yourself
Which stage?
Your turn
Which form fits?
I'm about to eat now.
Say it yourself
Bad timing
Your friend calls and asks if you've got a minute. You're in the middle of cooking. Then they ask about their email, and you say you've just read it.
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