Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Indicates that an action has just been completed, and a result, discovery, or new situation immediately followed or was found at that point.
🎯 Primary Function
To describe the immediate consequence, discovery, or state found right after performing an action.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb（た形）＋ ところ
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, especially when reporting findings or results of an action.
Informal Situations
Commonly used in everyday conversations.
Written Language
Used in various written materials, including narratives and reports.
Spoken Language
Frequently used in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Reporting a result or discovery after trying or checking something.
Used when you performed an action (like checking, calling, trying) and immediately found out something as a result.
Example: 書類を確認したところ、間違いが見つかりました。(Shorui o kakunin shita tokoro, machigai ga mitsukarimashita.) – I just checked the document, and I found a mistake.
Describing an event that happened immediately upon completion of another action.
Used when an action finishes, and another event occurs at that precise moment or immediately after.
Example: 家へ帰ってきたところ、友達から電話がかかってきました。(Ie e kaette kita tokoro, tomodachi kara denwa ga kakatte kimashita.) – I just got back home, and my friend called me.
Indicating one has just completed an action (often with ちょうど).
When used with ちょうど (choudo), it specifically means “I have just finished…” or “I am just at the point of completing…”, emphasizing the recency of the action.
Example: ちょうど駅に着いたところです。(Chōdo eki ni tsuita tokoro desu.) – I have just arrived at the station.
Frequency
Moderately frequent in daily Japanese.
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N4).
Example Sentences
電話をかけたところ、話し中でした。
I just tried calling, and it was busy.
家へ帰ってきたところ、友達から電話がかかってきました。
I just got back home, and my friend called me.
彼に聞いてみたところ、もう知っていました。
I just asked him, and he already knew.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Emphasizes the immediate result or discovery.
This pattern is used to highlight what happened or what was found out right after the action was completed.
Example: テストの結果を見たところ、合格していました！(Tesuto no kekka o mita tokoro, gōkaku shite imashita!) – I just looked at my test results, and I had passed!
Often implies a discovery or finding.
It’s commonly used when the result is something learned or discovered immediately after the action.
Example: 調べてみたところ、その情報は間違っていました。(Shirabete mita tokoro, sono jōhō wa machigatte imashita.) – I just tried looking it up, and that information was wrong.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ~たところ for actions that are not immediately followed by the result/discovery.
✅ Ensure the second part of the sentence describes something that happened or was found right *at* or immediately after the completion of the first action.
~たところ focuses on the point in time immediately following the action, not a delayed result.
❌ Confusing it with ~ているところ (action in progress) or ~るところ (action about to start).
✅ ~たところ requires the verb’s た-form. ~ているところ uses the ~ている form, and ~るところ uses the dictionary form.
These three patterns describe different points in time relative to the action: ~たところ (just finished), ~ているところ (in progress), ~るところ (about to start).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The overall politeness depends on the verb conjugation and surrounding context.
Social Situations: Used in diverse social settings to describe completed actions and their immediate outcomes.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese.
🔍 Subtle Differences
~たところ vs. ~たら
~たところ strongly emphasizes the immediate point of completion and the result/discovery found *at that moment*. ~たら is a conditional form that can mean “if” or “when/after”, and while it can indicate sequence, it doesn’t necessarily carry the same nuance of immediate discovery right *at the point* of completion.
When to use: Use ~たところ when highlighting the result or discovery that occurred right upon finishing an action. Use ~たら for general conditional statements or less time-sensitive sequences.
~たところ vs. ~てから
~てから means “after doing X, Y happened,” focusing on the sequence. ~たところ focuses on the specific point in time immediately after X and the result/discovery at that moment.
When to use: Use ~てから for general sequential actions. Use ~たところ when the result or discovery is closely tied to the immediate completion of the action.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Attaches directly to the plain past tense (た-form) of verbs.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
ところ (tokoro) is pronounced with the stress typically on the second syllable. Practice the た-form conjugation first.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ところ as representing a “point” in time. ~たところ means the “point right after” the た-form action is done.
Practice Exercises
Select the correct form to complete the sentence: 部屋を（ ）ところ、古い写真がでてきた。
そうじする
そうじした
そうじしている
そうじして
Which phrase best fits after 「図書館で調べたところ、」?
本を読むつもりです。
必要な情報が見つかりました。
友達と会いました。
明日も行きます。
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