Comparison10 pagesJLPT N5 to N2

About to, in the middle of, just did

ところだ is the one to start with. It says where an action stands: just before it starts, part-way through, or just after it ends. The verb form in front says which. Most other forms are for one of those moments and add something: that it still feels recent, that the timing was bad, or that it didn't happen.

Moment	Form	What it says
Just before	るところだ	About to: the very next thing
Just before	（よ）うとする	About to, when something else interrupts
Just before	（よ）うとした矢や先さきに	About to, when something unwelcome interrupts; in news and stories
In the middle	ている	The plain "is doing"
In the middle	ているところだ	Part-way through and busy with it now
In the middle	最さい中ちゅうだ	Right in the middle, often at a bad moment
In the middle	かけ	Started and not finished: half done, or beginning to happen
In the middle	つつある	A change under way, in news and reports
Just after	たところだ	It ended a moment ago
Just after	たばかりだ	It still feels recent: minutes or months
Any of the three moments	ところに・ところへ	Just then, someone or something arrives
It didn't happen	るところだった	Nearly

At the start of a form, る and た stand for a verb in the dictionary form and in the た-form.

ところだ: about to, in the middle, just done

Full pageところだN4

ところだ is what people say on the phone and in messages, to tell someone how far along they are.

これから晩ばんご飯はんを食たべるところです。

I'm just about to have dinner.

The dictionary form: nothing has started yet. Often with これから.

今いま、晩ばんご飯はんを食たべているところです。

I'm in the middle of dinner.

ている: started, and not done.

ちょうど晩ばんご飯はんを食たべたところです。

I've just had dinner.

The た-form: it ended a moment ago. Often with ちょうど, たった今いま or さっき.

With friends ところ often shrinks to とこ.

今いまどこ？

Where are you now?

今いま、家いえを出でたとこ。

I've just left the house.

ている: the plain "is doing"

Full pageているN5

ている is enough for "is doing". ているところ adds that you are part-way through and busy with it now, so it can't be said of a routine, or of a state such as 結けっ婚こんしています, "is married".

弟おとうとは大だい学がくで経けい済ざいを勉べん強きょうしている。

My younger brother studies economics in college.

A routine: he may be asleep right now.

弟おとうとは今いま、部屋へやで試し験けん勉べん強きょうをしているところだ。

My younger brother is in his room studying for an exam right now.

What he is doing this minute.

たばかりだ: it still feels recent

Full pageたばかりだN4

たばかりだ says that something happened and to you it still feels recent. There is no limit in minutes or days.

朝あさご飯はんを食たべたばかりなので、まだおなかがすいていません。

I've only just had breakfast, so I'm not hungry yet.

彼かれは二にか月げつ前まえに店てん長ちょうになったばかりです。

He became the store manager only two months ago.

When it really was a moment ago, たところだ is fine too.

今いま、駅えきに着ついたところです。

I've just arrived at the station.

Where things stand: you are at the station now.

今いま、駅えきに着ついたばかりです。

I've only just arrived at the station.

How little time has passed.

ところだった: "was about to", and "nearly"

Full pageところだったN3

ところだった, or politely ところでした, is ところだ for a moment in the past. The verb form in front still says which moment it was.

私わたしが駅えきに着ついたとき、電でん車しゃが出でるところでした。

When I arrived at the station, the train was just about to leave.

Still at the platform.

私わたしが駅えきに着ついたとき、電でん車しゃが出でたところでした。

When I arrived at the station, the train had just left.

Already gone.

るところだった is also "nearly": something was about to happen, and in the end it didn't. Mostly it is a narrow escape, told with relief, and 危あやうく or もう少すこしで often comes in front.

あ、忘わすれるところだった。はい、これ、おみやげ。

Oh, I nearly forgot. Here, I brought you something.

危あぶなかった。もう少すこしで寝ね坊ぼうするとこだった。

That was close. I very nearly overslept.

Where it goes wrong

English says "I only came last month" as easily as "I've only just arrived". たところだ is only the moment right after: seconds or minutes, not a month.

先せん月げつ日本にほんに来きたばかりです。

I only came to Japan last month.

Not said: 先せん月げつ日本にほんに来きたところです。

(I only came to Japan last month.)

English says "I nearly dropped it", with a past verb, and learners make the Japanese verb past too.

Not said: 危あやうくスマホを落おとしたところだった。

(I nearly dropped my phone.)

落おとすところだった. With 落おとした it would be "had just dropped it".

かけ: started and not finished

Full pageかけ・かけるN3

かけ, on a verb stem, says that something was started and hasn't reached its end. With eating, reading or writing, that is "half done", mostly as かけの before a noun. With a sudden change, like a fall or a flame going out, the change has begun: "on the point of", and in the past tense "nearly".

食たべかけのパンを冷れい蔵ぞう庫こに入いれた。

I put the half-eaten bread in the fridge.

風かぜでろうそくの火ひが消きえかけている。

The candle flame is about to go out in the wind.

消きえている would say it has already gone out.

消きえそうだ is also "about to go out", from how the flame looks. 消きえかけている states a fact: it has started to go out.

ところだった, そうになった or かけた?

そうになった, on a verb stem, is "nearly" as well. All three can be said of a slip on the stairs.

危あやうく階かい段だんから落おちるところだった。

I nearly fell down the stairs.

The usual "nearly" for a close call, on almost any verb. You look back at how near it came.

階かい段だんで転ころびそうになった。

I nearly fell on the stairs.

You felt it coming: you stumbled, and kept your feet.

足あしを滑すべらせて、階かい段だんから落おちかけた。

I slipped and nearly fell down the stairs.

The fall had begun, and stopped short.

最さい中ちゅうだ: right in the middle

Full page最さい中ちゅうだ・最さい中ちゅうにN3

最さい中ちゅうだ is "right in the middle of" something you are busy with. Mostly it is said when something else happens at that moment, or to tell someone you can't stop now.

今いま、晩ばんご飯はんを作つくっているところです。

I'm making dinner at the moment.

Says where things stand.

今いま、晩ばんご飯はんを作つくっている最さい中ちゅうです。

I'm right in the middle of making dinner.

Often a way to say this isn't a good moment.

食しょく事じの最さい中ちゅうに、仕し事ごとの電でん話わがかかってきた。

A work call came right in the middle of the meal.

After a noun, with の.

ところに・ところへ: just then, something arrives

Full pageところに・ところへ・ところをN3

After ところに or ところへ, which mean the same, the sentence goes on: just then, someone or something arrives. The verb form in front picks the moment, as with ところだ.

私わたしたちが昼ちゅう食しょくを食たべているところへ、宅たく配はい便びんが届とどいた。

A delivery arrived while we were eating lunch.

会かい議ぎが終おわったところに、部ぶ長ちょうが入はいってきた。

The department manager came in just as the meeting had ended.

（よ）うとする and 矢や先さきに: about to, when something interrupts

Full page（よ）うとするN3 矢や先さきに・矢や先さきのN2

（よ）うとする is the 行いこう, 食たべよう form of a verb followed by とする: "try to", or "be about to". With とき or たら after it, you were just about to do something when something else happened. るところだ is "about to" with no interruption.

寝ねようとしたら、電でん話わが鳴なった。

I was about to go to bed when the phone rang.

Everyday speech.

寝ねようとした矢や先さきに、電でん話わが鳴なった。

Just as I was about to go to bed, the phone rang.

The same event, told as bad timing. You meet 矢や先さきに in news, and in stories of what went wrong.

つつある: a change under way, in news and reports

Full pageつつあるN2

つつある says a change is under way: recovering, spreading, disappearing. In conversation people say ている or てきている: 増ふえている, 増ふえてきている.

景けい気きは緩ゆるやかに回かい復ふくしつつある。

The economy is gradually recovering.

Other ways to say where things stand

そうだN4

"About to" as a guess from how things look, and with なった after it, "nearly". るところだ is for what you know comes next.

空そらが急きゅうに暗くらくなりました。雨あめが降ふりそうです。

The sky has suddenly grown dark. It looks like it is going to rain.

中ちゅうN4Signs and notices

"In the middle of", straight after a noun: in a meeting, on the phone. On signs too: 営えい業ぎょう中ちゅう, "open".

部ぶ長ちょうは会かい議ぎ中ちゅうです。

The department manager is in a meeting.

途と中ちゅうでN2

On the way somewhere, or partway through a book or a meeting. Unlike 最さい中ちゅうだ, it only says the end hasn't come yet.

この本ほんはまだ読よんでいる途と中ちゅうなので、結けつ末まつは言いわないでください。

I'm still partway through this book, so please don't tell me the ending.