Start with a question:
佐藤さんはいますか？——いいえ、今部屋を出た＿＿です。
A. とき B. ところ C. あと D. まえ
The answer is B. ところ. "Is Sato here? -- No, he just left the room." たところ marks the exact moment an action was completed.
Three Time Points of ところ
The basic meaning of ところ is "place," but when attached to verbs, it becomes a time marker expressing three different stages:
| Attachment | Meaning | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form + ところ | About to do | Before action |
| ている + ところ | In the middle of doing | During action |
| た-form + ところ | Just finished | After action |
This article focuses on たところ, the most common N4 test point.
たところ = Just Finished
たところ means "the action just ended -- barely any time has passed":
-
佐藤さんは今部屋を出たところです。 → Sato just left the room.
-
今帰ったところです。 → I just got home.
-
さっき昼ご飯を食べたところです。 → I just finished lunch.
-
レポートを書き終わったところです。 → I just finished writing the report.
たところ emphasizes "the exact moment of completion" -- very recent.
たところ vs たばかり
Both mean "just did," but the feeling differs:
| たところ | たばかり | |
|---|---|---|
| Time gap | Very close (seconds to minutes) | Can be further (days to months) |
| Emphasis | The instant of completion | The shortness of elapsed time |
| Example | 今着いたところです | 先月来たばかりです |
たところ is like a snapshot -- the moment the shutter clicked. たばかり is looking back -- "it hasn't been long."
Dictionary Form + ところ = About To
Remember the other two uses:
-
今から出かけるところです。 → I'm about to go out.
-
これから食べるところです。 → I'm about to eat.
ているところ = In the Middle Of
-
今ちょうど料理を作っているところです。 → I'm right in the middle of cooking.
-
田中先生は昼ご飯を食べているところでした。 → Mr. Tanaka was in the middle of eating lunch.
Self-Test
Q1. What does 「今レポートを書いたところです」 mean?
Show answer
"I just finished writing the report." Verb た-form + ところ indicates the action just completed.
Q2. Is 「先月日本に来たところです」 natural? Would たばかり be better?
Show answer
Not natural. たところ emphasizes "just this instant," which doesn't work for something a month ago. 先月日本に来たばかりです is more natural.
Q3. Fill in: 「今から出かける＿＿です」
Show answer
ところ. Dictionary form + ところ = about to do. "I'm about to go out."
Summary
- たところ = "just finished" -- emphasizes the instant of completion
- Dictionary form + ところ = "about to"
- ているところ = "in the middle of"
- たところ is more immediate than たばかり
- ところ goes from "place" to "point in time" -- space and time often overlap in Japanese