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ところだ (tokoroda)

On the verge of; finished just now; in the middle of

Meaning & usage

ところだ marks the exact point in time around an action. It expresses being about to do something, being right in the middle of it, or being immediately after finishing it. It follows verbs only, using 出るところだ for before, 出ているところだ for during, and 出たところだ for after. It stresses a single moment, so it does not suit long continuing situations, and とこだ is its casual spoken form.

Example sentences 6

In past JLPT papers

This came up in 6 past exam questions.

And 2 more tests.

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