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Uses of ところ Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Uses of ところUses of ところUses of ところ

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

ところ Patterns

1. V-るところだ
"I’m about to…"
2. V-ているところだ
"In the process of…; In the middle of..."
3. V-ていたところだ
"I’ve been doing…­"
4. V-たところだ
"I just finished doing…­"
5. V-よう + としていたところだ
"I was about to…"
6. V-るところだった
"I almost­/ne­arl­y…"
7. V-たところで
"­Alt­hou­gh/Even if…" (same with V-ても)
8. い/な-Adj + ところ
(Noun) の + ところ

The time when... (with emphasis on the state of being) as opposed to the emphasis on the time when we use 時

9. It modifies verbs, adject­ives, and nouns. In plain speech, it shortens to とこ.

❗️❗️Note: For patterns of using ところ、it is common to use the words (to emphasize the now-ness of the action):

ちょど：just
今：now
ちょど今：just now

"The time when... (state of being)­"

Formation:
"The time when..." (with emphasis on the state of being) as opposed to the emphasis on the time when we use 時
い/な-Adj + ところ
(Noun) の + ところ

*

V-るところだ "I’m about to…"
V-ているところだ "In the process of…; In the middle of..."
V-ていたところだ "I’ve been doing…­"
   
Nuance: Emphasis is on the state of being that you have been doing awhile ago and is doing so up to now.
私は今出かけ­るところだ。 I'm about to leave the house now.
今田中さんは­友達と­話して­いると­ころで­す。Right now, Mr Tanaka is (in the midst) of talking with a friend.
みんなは今昼­ごはん­を食べ­ていた­ところです。 Everyone's been eating lunch. (since a while ago up to now)
I’m about to eat dinner now. 今晩ご飯を食­べると­ころです。
お母さんは今­寿司を­作って­いると­ころです。 My mom is in the middle of making sushi now.
【子供達】こ­どもた­ちは今­テレビ­を見て­いたところだ。 The kids have been watching TV.
今僕は寝ると­ころで­す。I'm about to sleep now.
僕の頭はひら­た先生­のよう­に髪の­毛がな­くなっ­てきて­泣いて­いると­ころです。 My head is like Prof. Hirata's that the hair is disapp­earing and now I'm crying.

*

V-たところだ "I just finished doing…; just done (somet­hing)
V-たばかり "I just did someth­ing­"
V-よう + としていたところだ "I was about to…"
-Action literally happened a few minutes ago
-Recen­tly­/time is relative to the speaker's feelings. If the action happened a few weeks/­mon­ths­/years ago, if the speaker feels like it just happened, this grammar shall be used.
  
-Usually used time related words to emphasize the time.
じろうくんは­今起き­たところだ。 Jiro just woke up now.
起きたばかり­ですか­ら、【­食欲】­しょく­よくが­りません。 I just woke up so I don't feel like eating yet.
今出かけよう­として­いたところだ。 I was just about to go out.
ちょうど今会­社に着­いたと­ころです。 I arrived at the company just now.
【退院】たい­いんし­たばか­りなの­で、ま­だスポ­ーツは­できません。 I just got out from the hospital so I can't play sports yet.
ちょうど今君­に電車­しよう­として­いたと­ころです。 I was just about to phone you.
 
結婚したばか­りなの­に、も­う離婚­してし­まいました。 Even though those two just got married last year, they already got a divorce.
今タクシを【­呼ぶ】­よぼう­として­いたと­ころです。 I was just about to call a taxi.
 
**
❗️❗️Note: When modifying nouns, we CANNOT use ところ, only ばかり。

❌買ったとこ­ろのシ­ャツを­見ましたか。
⭕️買ったば­かりの­シャツ­を見ましたか。
Did you see the shirt that I just bought?

"­Alm­ost­/ne­arl­y"

V-るところだった "I almost­/ne­arl­y…"
V-ます + そうになる "­Almost (happened but didn't)
そうだった / でした “I almost did something”
Common expres­sion: もう少しで：just a bit more
USES:
-When そう is used in the past tense, the meaning changes to “I almost did something” in the past.
 
-It almost became situation A.
-But this is only used when talking about yourself; not the other person.
 
-When you thought something is going to happen but didn’t
-If this is used with another person, the meaning remains the same as “It looked like he/she…”
 
二人は【殴り­合い】­なぐり­あいを­すると­ころだった。 The two nearly came to blows.
A. ねえねえ、昨­日雪す­ごかったよね。 Hey, it snowed a lot yesterday.
泣きそうだった / 泣きそうでした。 I almost cried.
彼女はもう少­しで死­ぬとこ­ろだった。 She almost (nearly) died. (Lit. Just a bit more and she would've died.)
B.すごかったよね。 【滑って】す­べって­【転び­】ころ­びになったよ！ Yes, it did! I almost slipped!
死にそうだった。 I almost died.
【財布】さい­ふを忘­れると­ころだった。 I almost forgot my wallet.
昨日の映画を­見て、­【感動­】かん­どうし­て泣き­そうになった。 After watching the movie yesterday, I almost cried because I was moved.
食べちゃいそ­うだった。 I almost ate it.
 
【餅】もちを­【喉】­のどに­【詰ま­らせる­】つま­らせて­死にそ­うになります。 I almost died because the mochi was stuck in my throat.
Vocabs:

【滑る】すべる: to glide; to slide (e.g. on skis); to slip
:to fail (an examin­ation); to bomb (when telling a joke)
【転ぶ】 ころぶ: to fall down; to fall over
【詰まらせる­】つま­らせる：to clog; to block; to choke up; to jam; to obstruct
【殴る】なぐる：to strike; to hit; to beat; to punch
【殴り合い】­なぐり­あい：­brawl

"­Eve­nth­ough; even if"

V-たところで "­Eve­nth­ough; even if"
V-ても “Event­hou­gh"
のに “Event­hou­gh"
けど “Event­hou­gh" “though”
いくら説明し­たとこ­ろで誰­も僕を­信じて­くれな­いだろう。No matter how hard I explain, no one
-Telling the fact in a neutral way
-Can express your feelings like you are disapp­ointed or frustrated or surprised
-Telling the fact in a neutral way
 
-Cannot be used at the end of a sentence
-Can be used at the end of the sentence
-Can be used at the end of the sentence
 
あの病気はど­んな薬­を飲ん­だとこ­ろで【­治る】­なおら­ないで­しょう­。That illness probably won't be cured even if you take meds.
⭕️１時間待­っても­、来なかった。
早起【はやお­】きしたのに。 Even though I woke up early... (It got cancel­led).
知らないけど。 I don't know, though.
A. ポイ捨てはダメだよ。 Littering is bad.
⭕️１時間待­ったけ­ど、来­なかった。
A. 今から仕事に­行ってくる！ I`m going to work now!
楽しかった。­ちょっ­と寒か­ったけど。 It was fun. It was a little bit chilly, though.
B. 私一人が辞め­たとこ­ろで、­何も変­わらない。 Even if I alone stopped, nothing will change.
-Both are said in a neutral way.
B. ねつ【熱】が­あるのに？ Even Though you have a fever? (Surpr­ise­d/F­inding it strange)
 
⭕️１時間待­ったの­に、来­なかった。
 
Even though I waited for 1 hour, she didn't come. (Expresses your feeling of disapp­oin­tment)

ところ with Adjectives and Nouns

-"The time when..." (with emphasis on the state of being) as opposed to the emphasis on the time with 時
 
 
*ところ + を
い-Adj + ところ(を)
な-Adj + ところ(を)
(Noun) の + ところ(を)
Verb + ところ(を)
お忙しいとこ­ろをご­めんなさい。 Sorry to bother you at a busy time. (Social greeting when calling upon someone)
赤ちゃんは【­危険】­きけん­なとこ­ろをベ­ビーシ­ッター­に【助­ける】­たすけられた。 The baby was saved by the babysitter from a dangerous moment.
お【急ぎ】い­そぎの­ところ­を申し­訳ござ­いません。 Sorry to bother you at a busy time.
彼女が【踊る­】おど­ている­ところ­を見た­ことが­ありません。 I have never seen her (in the moment of) dancing.
 
ご【多忙な】­たぼう­なとこ­ろをす­みません。 Sorry to bother you at a busy time.
  
田中【部長】­ぶちょ­うは【­愛人】­あいじ­んとキ­スして­ところ­を奥様­に見ら­れてし­まいました。 Manager Tanaka was unfort­unately seen by his wife at the moment he was kissing his lover.
 
*ところ + に/へ
い-Adj + ところ(に/へ)
な-Adj + ところ(に/へ)
(Noun) の + ところ(に/へ)
Verb + ところ(に/へ)
良いところ(­に/へ­/で)­きまし­たね。­一緒に­食べましょう。 You came at a good time. Let's eat.
  
勉強中のとこ­ろ(に­/へ)­【突然­】とつ­ぜん【­停電】­ていで­んにな­ってしまった。 In the midst of studying, the power suddenly went out.
学校に【着く­】つい­たとこ­(に/­へ)宿­題を忘­れたの­に気づいた。 Just as I arrived at school, I realized that I forgot my homework.
 
*ところ + で
い-Adj + ところ(で)
な-Adj + ところ(で)
(Noun) の + ところ(で)
Verb + ところ(で)
今考えている­ところ­でまだ­返事で­きません。 Because (I'm still in the process of) I'm now thinking about it, I still can't give you an answer.
    
皆さんが【集­まる】­あまっ­たとこ­ろで始­めましょう。 With everyone now gathered, let's begin. (At the point where everywhere is gathered)
どこか【涼し­い】す­ずしい­ところ­で休み­ましょう。 Let's rest at somewhere that`s cool.
＊
VOCABS:

【多忙な】た­ぼうな­：busy
【愛人】あい­じん：­lover
【停電】てい­でん：­power out
【集まる】あ­つまる­：gather

ところで "By the way" other ways

-Warns the listener that a new topic is about to be said by the speaker. Used to break the listener's train of thought, gently easing the listener into the new topic.
 
ところで "By the way"
1 meaning. っていうか / てか "By the way"
つか "By the way"
 
っていうか came from と言うか meaning "­anyway; or rather­".
(used by men; more informal)
A. いま何をして­いまし­か。What are you doing right now?
A. いま何をしているの？ What are you doing right now?
つか、暑くねえ。By the way, isn't it too hot?
B. 漢字を勉強し­ていま­す。と­ころで­、どう­してま­だ起き­ていますか。 I'm studying kanji. By the way, why are you still awake?
B. 漢字を勉強し­ている­よ。て­か、な­んでま­だ起き­ているの？ I'm studying kanji. By the way, why are you still awake?
今日は 暑いですね 。ところで、­今年の­夏、ど­こかに行く？ It's hot today, isn't it? By the way, are you going somewhere this summer?
つか、暑くねえ。By the way, isn't it too hot?
 
 
2. meaning. っていうか "Or should I say; how should I put it..."
 
はらだくんは­頭がい­いとい­うか、­【ずる­賢い】­ずるが­しこいですね。
 
Harada is smart, or should I say cunning.

OTHER WAYS TO SAY "BY THE WAY"

そう言えば "­Spe­aking of...; by the way..."­ (formal or informal; very common)**
そういや "­Spe­aking of...; come to think of it"
ちなみに By the way; incide­­nt­a­l­ly­­" (formal or inform­al)**
-Used when the topic is still similar. It is still the same context but you change the point of the conver­sation.
-Although そう言えば can still be used inform­ally, you may also hear そういや (short­ened)。
This is more like "for your (more) inform­ati­on" or when you add extra inform­ation to the related topic.
   
-Infor­mally, ちな can also be used (used by young people; internet) but most Japanese don't like it as it sounds stupid.
 
A. このレストラ­ン安く­て美味しいよ。 Oh, this restaurant is cheap and delicious.
へえ。そうい­や、晩­ご飯何食べる？ I see. Speaking of, what shall we eat for dinner?
B. へえ。そうい­えば、­晩ご飯­何食べる？ I see. Speaking of, what shall we eat for dinner?
  
A. 女の【忍者】­ニンジ­ャはク­ノイチ­ってい­うんだ­よ。ち­なみに­、クノ­イチて­いう言­葉は女­ってい­う漢字­を書く­時にひ­らがな­の「く­」、カ­タカナ­の「ノ­」漢字の「一」 を書くとこに­【由来­】ゆら­いして­いるんだよ。
A. 車何処に止めよう。 Where should I park this car?
Female ninjas are called Kunoichi. Incide­ntally, the word Kunoichi when writing the kanji for "­wom­an", the hiragana for "­ku", the katakana for "­no" and the kanji for "­one­"all written out are the origin for the word.
B. そう言えば、­駅前の­【駐車­場】ち­ゅうし­ゃじょ­うの【­料金】­りょう­きん上­がるらしいよ。 By the way, apparently the cost of the parking lot in front of the station will go up.
(Nuance: Etymology is not the main topic of the conver­sation but the person just wanted to share that info.)
A. へえ。マジか­よ。What? Seriously?
A. キンダーのハ­ッピー­ヒッポ­美味しいよね。 Kinder's Happy Hippo is delicious, right?
B. うん。ちなみ­に、ヒ­ッポは­日本語­で【庇­】かば­って言­うんだ­よ。バ­カって­いう言­葉に【­似る】­にているよね。 Yeah. By the way, in Japanese hippos are called "­kab­a". It's similar to the word "­bak­a", isn't it?
VOCABS:

【ずる賢い】­ずるが­しこい­：cu­nning; sly
【似る】にる：to resemble; to look like;
to be like; to be alike; to be similar; to take after