〜ところだった: 'Was Just About To...' (Meaning + Examples)
Something that almost happened
〜ところだった describes an action that was right on the edge of occurring, then didn't — usually because of luck or a last-second save. It's almost always used for near-misses, not neutral facts.
もう少しで電車に乗り遅れるところだった。
もうすこしで でんしゃに のりおくれるところだった。
I was just about to miss the train.
もう少しで…ところだった = 'just barely avoided X'.
危ない！車にひかれるところだったよ。
あぶない！くるまに ひかれるところだったよ。
Watch out! You were almost hit by a car!
ところだった after a passive verb describes a near-accident.
やったんは財布を忘れるところだったが、モチが気づいて教えてくれた。
やったんは さいふを わすれるところだったが、モチが きづいて おしえてくれた。
Yattan was about to forget his wallet, but Mochi noticed and told him.
A classic near-miss saved by someone else's timing.
What it attaches to
〜ところだった attaches to the dictionary (non-past) form of a verb — describing the moment right before that action.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | 動詞辞書形 + ところだった | 遅刻するところだった (was about to be late) |
| Passive verb | 受身形 + ところだった | ひかれるところだった (was about to get hit) |
ゲームに夢中で、宿題を忘れるところだった。気づいてよかった。
ゲームに むちゅうで、しゅくだいを わすれるところだった。きづいてよかった。
I was so absorbed in the game I nearly forgot my homework. Good thing I noticed.
Don't confuse with 〜たところだ
〜たところだ (past tense + ところだ) means "just finished doing X" — 着いたところだ ("I just arrived"), describing something that did happen, a moment ago. 〜ところだった instead describes something that was about to happen but did not — the difference between "just did" and "almost did" hinges entirely on that だった at the end and the verb form before ところ.
The short version
- 〜ところだった = "was just about to… / almost did…" — a narrowly avoided event.
- Attaches to: the dictionary (or passive) form of a verb.
- Nuance/register: implies relief or alarm about a near-miss; often follows もう少しで or 危ない.
- Don't confuse with: 〜たところだ ("just did X"), which describes something that actually happened.
Practice it
Choose ところだった when the sentence describes something that almost happened but was avoided.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
もう少しで電車に乗り遅れる＿＿＿。
Where 〜ところだった fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
- 〜ているところ · N4 — ところ marks a moment in time: 〜るところ = about to do, 〜ているところ = right in the middle of doing, 〜たところ = just finished. Learn all three phases with clear examples.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- つい — つい is an adverb meaning 'unintentionally / before I knew it' — it describes an action that slipped out despite the speaker's intentions, or a habitual slip. Common with speaking, eating, and other hard-to-control impulses.
- 〜は別として — 〜は別として means 'setting X aside' or 'apart from X' — it brackets off one topic as a separate matter so the speaker can address something more pressing, without denying the bracketed topic's importance.
- 〜はもとより — 〜はもとより means 'not to mention X, Y too' — it names an obviously-true first case and then emphasizes that an even more surprising or extended second case also holds, similar to 'let alone' but adding rather than negating.
- 〜はともかく — 〜はともかく means 'leaving X aside' or 'whether or not X' — it sets one topic apart as not the main point right now, so attention can shift to something more relevant, without judging the set-aside topic.
- わずかに — わずかに is an adverb meaning 'slightly,' 'a little,' or 'barely' — it emphasizes that an amount, degree, or difference is very small, often surprisingly so, and can modify verbs, numbers, or nouns of quantity.
- 〜を兼ねて — 〜を兼ねて means 'combining X with' — one action that serves two purposes at once, like a trip that is both sightseeing and business. It attaches to a noun and signals efficient, dual-purpose action.