～た所だ
Just finished doing, Was just doing
Structure
(1) Verb［ていた］
Explanation
Just as ところ (often shortened to とこ) expresses being 'about to do (A)' when it follows a verb in its dictionary form, attaching it to the past tense auxiliary た changes the meaning to 'just finished (A)'.
To form this pattern, simply conjugate any verb into its past tense and append ところ.
- たった今、駅に着いたところ。I just arrived at the station.
- 夕食の準備がちょうど終わったところ。みんなを呼ぶ。I just finished preparing dinner. I'll call everyone now.
While the above form focuses on an action that has just concluded, using ていた instead emphasizes that you were 'in the middle of doing (A)' when something else happened.
- 映画を見ていたところで、友達が家に来た。My friend came over to my house just as I was watching a movie.
Caution
Using the kanji 所 usually indicates a physical place, whereas this grammar point refers to a moment in time or a specific situation. Despite this distinction, native speakers occasionally use the kanji form in this grammatical context, so you may encounter both the kanji and hiragana versions.
Examples
ちょうどバスが着いたところです。
The bus just arrived.
シャワーを浴びていたところに、電話が鳴った。
The phone rang just as I was taking a shower.
家に帰ってきたところで雨が降り始めた。
Just after I got home, it started to rain.
妻が夫に電話する：「今、あなたのことを考えていたところよ。」
A wife calls her husband: 'I was just thinking about you.'
映画が始まったところで、ポップコーンを落としてしまった。
Just as the movie started, I dropped my popcorn.
やっとレポートを書き終えたところで、パソコンがフリーズした。
Just after I finally finished writing my report, the computer froze.
席に座ったところ、急にお腹が痛くなってきた。
Right after I sat down, my stomach suddenly started to hurt.
今、彼の名前を聞いたところだが、もう思い出せない。
Even though I just heard his name, I can't remember it anymore.
母が部屋に入ってくる。：「起きてる？」
私：「うん、今ちょうど起きたところなんだ。」
Mom comes into the room: 'Are you awake?'
Me: 'Yeah, I just woke up now.'
駅に着いたところ、電車が出発してしまった。
Just as I arrived at the station, the train departed.
宿題に集中していたところに、友達から遊びの誘いが来た。
Just when I was concentrating on my homework, a friend invited me to hang out.
申し訳ありません、今戻ってきたところです。
I'm sorry, I have only just returned.