Components

Grammar detail: 〜ところ

〜ところ  just (about to / doing / almost)
203 words
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verb plain form
+
ところ
means
just about to do X; X almost happened
These first examples demonstrate the use of the verb plain form + ところ with the past or present form of です. A speaker will use でした/だった or です/だ at the end of the sentence depending on the formality of the situation.

X was about ~ / X is about to ~

でした/だった at the end of the sentence means X was about to ~.
です/だ at the end of the sentence means X is about to ~.
かれ
はな
だった
He was about to speak.
かれ
まさに
かける
ところだった
He was about to leave.
わたし
そのとき
いえ
ところだった
I was just leaving home then.
いま
から
しら
調
べる
ところです
I'm about to look into it now.
ちょうどチェックインするところです
I'm just about to check in.

verb plain form + ところだった means
X almost happened

Depending on the context of a situation verb plain form + ところだった can be used to describe a situation in which something almost happened.
わたし
おおごえ
大声
わら
ところだった
I almost laughed out loud.
かれ
あや
うく
くるま
ひかれるところだった
He came near being hit by a car.

ている + ところ means
just (now) doing

かれ
ぬす
つかった

He was detected in the very act of stealing.
ところ is from
ところ
meaning 'place', so the literal meaning of the expression is something like 'at the place of doing'.
あなた
ところどこまで
まい
ります

I will follow you wherever you go.
Another similar common expression is
いま
のところ, which means 'at the moment', or 'right now'.
いま
ところまだセーター
できあ
出来上
がっていない

As yet, I have not completed the sweater.
Take care not to confuse this expression with verb plain past + ところ, which means "have just finished~"
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Kanji used in this grammar

ショ   ところ place   
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コン   キン   いま now   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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シュツ   スイ   だ to take out, to put out   で to go out, to exit   
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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カ   ケ   house   いえ    や    
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調
チョウ   しらべる to investigate   ととの to be arranged, to be in order   ととのえる to adjust, tune   
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ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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セイ   ショウ   こえ voice   こわ- voice   
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ショウ   わら to laugh   え to smile   
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キ   あぶない dangerous   あやぶむ to be apprehensive of   あやうく barely, narrowly; almost   
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シャ   くるま car   
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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サン   まい to visit, go, come   
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ライ   く to come   きた to be forthcoming   きた to induce   
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ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼ to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼ to bring up   
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