「ところ」- Indicating a Specific Point in Time or Condition

Explanation

〜ところ is a common Japanese grammatical structure used to indicate that something happened or was discovered at a specific point in time or under certain conditions. It is often used with the past tense of verbs to emphasize the occurrence of an event.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verbた形 + ところ	Verbた形 + ところ	Indicates a situation that occurred at a specific time or under certain conditions, emphasizing that the situation was caused by the preceding action or state.

Basic Usage and Examples

• 本ほんを読よんだところ、内容ないようはとても面白おもしろかったです。
• Hon o yonda tokoro, naiyou wa totemo omoshirokatta desu.
• After reading the book, I found the content very interesting.
  

• ドアどあを開あけたところ、猫ねこが入はいってきました。
• Doa o aketa tokoro, neko ga haitte kimashita.
• When I opened the door, a cat came in.
  

• 宿題しゅくだいを終おわらせたところ、友達ともだちから電話でんわがかかってきました。
• Shukudai o owaraseta tokoro, tomodachi kara denwa ga kakatte kimashita.
• Just as I finished my homework, my friend called.
  

• 駅えきに到着とうちゃくしたところ、電車でんしゃがちょうど出発しゅっぱつしたところでした。
• Eki ni touchaku shita tokoro, densha ga choudo shuppatsu shita tokoro deshita.
• Just as I arrived at the station, the train was about to depart.
  

Deep Dive

The 〜ところ structure is typically used to describe the immediate situation after an action has been completed. It emphasizes the discovery or result after the action, rather than the action itself. This structure is very common in everyday conversations, especially when describing something that just happened.

Examples

• 家いえに帰かえったところ、誰だれもいませんでした。
• Ie ni kaetta tokoro, dare mo imasen deshita.
• When I got home, I found that no one was there.
  

• レストランれすとらんに入はいったところ、予約よやくが取とれていなかった。
• Resutoran ni haitta tokoro, yoyaku ga torete inakatta.
• When I entered the restaurant, I found that there was no reservation.
  

Real-Life Scenarios

• Used in everyday conversations to describe the result of completing an action.
• Used in formal settings to explain the occurrence of specific events.

Summary

〜ところ is an important Japanese grammatical structure primarily used to describe specific situations that occur at a particular time or under certain conditions. By mastering this grammar point, you can more accurately express the occurrence and discovery of events, enhancing clarity and precision in everyday communication.