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ところだった
N2 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today
tokoro datta
was just about to do something
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🃏 Flashcard
ところだった
tokoro datta
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was just about to do something
N2
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level N2
Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage
Reading tokoro datta
Post ID 51168
Patterns today 0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes

was just about to do something

📖 How to use it

Expresses that someone was just about to do something (often narrowly avoided or interrupted).

Attaches to Attach to the dictionary (plain non-past) form of a verb, followed by ところだった. For example, 行くところだった, 食べるところだった.

This pattern is used to say that something was about to happen at a point in the past, but often didn't because something else intervened. It can describe a close call or a missed opportunity. The nuance is that the action was on the verge of occurring, but the speaker now looks back and says 'I was just about to...' or 'I almost...'.

あやうく電車に乗り遅れるところだった。
Ayauku densha ni noriokureru tokoro datta.
I almost missed the train.
もう少しで財布を落とすところだった。
Mou sukoshi de saifu o otosu tokoro datta.
I almost dropped my wallet.
彼が来なかったら、私たちは出かけるところだった。
Kare ga konakattara, watashitachi wa dekakeru tokoro datta.
If he hadn't come, we would have been just about to leave.
Not ところだ (non-past) or ~するところだった ところだ refers to an imminent action in the present or future (e.g., 今から出かけるところだ 'I'm about to leave now'). ところだった is always about the past and often implies the action was avoided or interrupted.
Register Used in both spoken and written Japanese, but common in narrative and conversational contexts when describing near misses or past intentions.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ところだった
📚 How to Master This Pattern
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Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ところだった three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
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Flip Before Reading
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Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using ところだった. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
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Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ところだった mean? ▼
Was just about to do something
What JLPT level is ところだった? ▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use ところだった in a sentence? ▼
Attach ところだった (tokoro datta) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is ところだった formal or casual Japanese? ▼
ところだった is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember ところだった long-term? ▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.