Meaning
This pattern expresses that someone almost entered or was on the verge of entering a certain state or condition, but ultimately did not. It's commonly used to describe situations where an undesirable outcome nearly happened. The pattern emphasizes that there was a tendency toward that state, but in reality, it did not materialize.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞辞書形 | ところだった |
Examples
-
スーパーに行って、牛乳を買い忘れるところだったけど、メモで思い出した。
I went to the supermarket and almost forgot to buy milk, but remembered thanks to my memo. -
運転中によそ見をして、危うく前の車にぶつかるところだった。
While driving, I was looking around carelessly and nearly hit the car in front of me. -
手術中に、彼は出血多量であやうく命を落とすところだった。
During surgery, he lost a large amount of blood and came close to losing his life.
Summary
- Used to describe situations where an undesirable outcome almost occurred but was avoided
- The pattern emphasizes a near-miss: there was a tendency toward the state, but it didn't actually happen
- Often paired with adverbs like 'あやうく' (dangerously) or 'うっかり' (carelessly) to strengthen the meaning