Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“It almost happened,” “came close to,” or “on the verge of.”
🎯 Primary Function
To express that something nearly occurred, but ultimately did not happen, often implying relief or regret.
📋 Grammar Structure
動詞の辞書形 / た形 / ない形 + ところだった
(Verb Plain Form (dictionary form, -ta form, -nai form) + ところだった) * **Positive (almost did):** Vるところだった (e.g., 遅刻するところだった)
* Vる is most common, implying an action that was about to happen or almost happened but was prevented at the last moment.
* **Negative (almost didn’t / almost failed to):** Vないところだった (e.g., 忘れ物をしないところだった – less common, means “almost didn’t forget”, usually rephrased positively like “almost forgot”) Note: While Vたところだった is grammatically possible, Vるところだった is overwhelmingly more common to express a near-miss. Vたところだった would emphasize the very recent past or a state that was *almost reached* but usually the feeling of a “near-miss” is best captured by Vる. For instance, 「彼は死んだところだった」 implies he was almost dead, but in common usage, one would say 「死ぬところだった」.
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, but generally more common in slightly less formal or narrative contexts. Politeness depends on the sentence ending (です/ます).
Informal Situations
Very common in everyday conversation among friends and family.
Written Language
Appears in narratives, diaries, and informal writing, or when recounting incidents.
Spoken Language
Widely used in conversation to share personal experiences and close calls.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing relief
Used when something undesirable almost happened but was avoided.
Example: 危なく電車に乗り遅れるところだった。(I almost missed the train. – implying relief that I didn’t.)
Expressing regret or disappointment
Used when something desirable almost happened but was not achieved.
Example: あと一歩で優勝するところだったのに。(We were just one step away from winning the championship, what a shame.)
Describing a close call or near-miss
Used to recount an incident where something dangerous or significant almost occurred.
Example: 車にひかれるところだった。(I almost got hit by a car.)
Frequency
Moderately frequent in daily conversation and storytelling, especially when recounting personal experiences.
Difficulty
Moderate for JLPT N2 learners. The core meaning is straightforward, but distinguishing it from similar expressions requires understanding subtle nuances.
Example Sentences
危うく遅刻するところだった。
I almost was late.
もう少しで忘れ物をするところだった。
I almost forgot something.
危なく大切な書類を捨てるところだったよ。
I almost threw away important documents.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The outcome did not happen.
The most crucial aspect of 「〜ところだった」 is that the action described *did not* actually occur. It strictly emphasizes a near miss or a situation that came very close to happening but was prevented.
Example: 電車に乗り遅れるところだった。(I almost missed the train. → This means I *did not* miss the train.)
Often expresses relief or regret.
This grammar point frequently conveys the speaker’s feeling about the near-miss. It can be relief (for avoiding something undesirable) or regret/disappointment (for failing to achieve something desirable).
Example: 危なかった！落ちるところだった。(That was close! I almost fell. – expressing relief.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Confusing with 「〜ところだ」 (present progressive, just finished, etc.).
✅ 「〜ところだ」 indicates a specific point in time (e.g., about to do, in the middle of, just finished), whereas 「〜ところだった」 specifically denotes a past near-miss that did not materialize.
For instance, 「今、食べるところだ」 means “I’m about to eat now,” while 「食べるところだった」 means “I almost ate it (but didn’t).”
❌ Using it for something that actually happened.
✅ Only use 「〜ところだった」 for actions or states that *almost* happened but ultimately *did not* occur.
If you actually missed the train, you cannot say 「電車に乗り遅れるところだった」. Instead, you would say 「電車に乗り遅れた」.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness level depends on the overall sentence ending (e.g., です/ます vs. だ/である). It can be used in both formal narratives and casual conversations.
Social Situations: Widely used in everyday conversation among friends, family, and colleagues to share personal anecdotes and experiences of close calls. It’s a common way to express personal feelings about an averted situation.
Regional Variations: There are no significant regional variations in the usage or meaning of 「〜ところだった」 across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
「〜ところだった」 vs. 「〜そうになった」
「〜ところだった」 implies a higher degree of certainty or immediacy that the event was on the verge of happening, often conveying the speaker’s direct experience and feeling (relief, regret). 「〜そうになった」 describes something that *looked like* it was going to happen but then didn’t, often focusing on the appearance or external observation.
When to use: Use 「〜ところだった」 when you want to emphasize the near completion of an action or state and the emotional outcome (relief/regret) from your perspective. Use 「〜そうになった」 when describing something that *appeared* to be on the verge of happening, often from an observational viewpoint. Example: 転ぶところだった。(I almost tripped/fell – personal feeling). vs. 転びそうになった。(I looked like I was going to trip/fall – observational).
「〜ところだった」 vs. 「もう少しで〜」
「もう少しで〜」 simply means “almost” or “a little more and…”, focusing purely on the proximity or closeness of an event. 「〜ところだった」 adds the specific nuance that the event *did not* happen and carries an implicit emotional response (relief or regret).
When to use: Use 「もう少しで〜」 as a general phrase to indicate proximity in time or space. Use 「〜ところだった」 when you want to specifically highlight a “near miss” where an event was on the verge of occurring but was averted, along with the accompanying feeling. Example: もう少しで着く。(Almost there.) vs. 遅れるところだった。(I almost was late [and wasn’t, thankfully/unfortunately]).
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Always attaches to the plain form (辞書形, た形, ない形) of the verb. The most common pattern is Vる＋ところだった.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The pronunciation of 「ところ」 is standard /tokoro/. The intonation typically drops on 「だった」, indicating the past tense and a sense of conclusion regarding the near-miss. Practice saying it naturally with a slight pause before 「ところだった」 to emphasize the “almost” feeling.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 「ところ」 as a “point” or “moment,” and 「だった」 as “was.” So, the phrase literally means “it was at the point of [doing something].” Visualize a dramatic “close call” scenario to help solidify the meaning.
Vocabulary List
危うく
ayauku
narrowly; barely; almost (adverb)
遅刻
chikoku
lateness; tardiness (noun, する verb)
忘れ物
wasuremono
lost item; forgotten item (noun)
書類
shorui
documents; papers (noun)
捨てる
suteru
to throw away; to discard (verb)
あと一歩
ato ippo
one more step; just one more step (phrase)
ゴール
goal (noun, する verb)
Kanji List
危
あや
dangerous
遅
ち
late
刻
こく
time
忘
わす
forget
物
もの
thing
書
しょ
write
類
るい
sort, kind
捨
す
throw away
一
いち
one
歩
ぽ
step
助
たす
help
Practice Exercises
電車に乗り遅れ____。 (I almost missed the train.)
A. るところだった
B. たところだ
C. そうだ
D. のところだった
危うく傘を____。 (I almost forgot my umbrella.)
A. 忘れるところだった
B. 忘れたところだ
C. 忘れそうだった
D. 忘れるはずだった
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