Lesson 113: ところに・ところだった・かける・ついでに

N3 · Lesson 113 · 18 min — Just then, almost, halfway, while I'm at it: talk about timing more vividly

Last lesson, at the summer festival, you learned たびに・たとたん・て以来いらい・ぶり, and an old neighbor said that Hana went to Kyoto. This lesson has four ways to talk about timing. Read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use ところに／ところへ to say "just when something happened or someone showed up", and ところを to say "someone saw or helped me in the middle of doing something"
• Use（もう少すこしで）〜ところだった to say "I almost did it (but luckily I didn't)"
• Use 〜かける／〜かけの to say "halfway done" or "about to"
• Use 〜ついでに to say "while doing A, I also do B"

A Side Trip to Kyoto

They say Hana went to Kyoto. In August, Rin happens to be leading a tour there as an intern. (添乗てんじょう = leading a tour, 八やつ橋はし = yatsuhashi)

ところに = just when, ところだった = almost, かけ = halfway, ついでに = while I'm at it. Will the wagashi shop help Rin?

Words for this lesson: timing, almost, while I'm at it

• 〜ところに (tokoro ni): just when ~ (someone comes, something happens)
• 〜ところを (tokoro o): in the middle of ~ (seen, helped)
• 〜ところだった (tokoro datta): almost ~ (but luckily not)
• もう少すこしで (mō sukoshi de): almost, with just a little more
• 〜かける (kakeru): halfway through ~; about to ~
• 〜かけの (kake no): half-done ~ (a half-eaten, half-read thing)
• 〜ついでに (tsuide ni): while I'm at it, on the way
• あぶない (abunai): dangerous; close call
• やめる (yameru): to stop, to quit
• 添乗てんじょう (tenjō): going along with a tour (a travel agency staff member goes on the trip)
• ツアー (tsuā): tour, itinerary
• たのむ (tanomu): to ask, to leave (something) to someone
• 探さがす (sagasu): to look for
• 遅おくれる (okureru): to be late, to miss (a train)
• ちょうど (chōdo): just, exactly
• 和菓子わがし (wagashi): Japanese sweets
• 八やつ橋はし (yatsuhashi): yatsuhashi (a Kyoto sweet)
• 新幹線しんかんせん (shinkansen): Shinkansen (bullet train)
• 休やすみを とる (yasumi o toru): to take a day off
• 眠ねむる (nemuru): to sleep, to fall asleep
• 寄よる (yoru): to stop by, to drop in
• 郵便局ゆうびんきょく (yūbinkyoku): post office
• 散歩さんぽ (sanpo): a walk, stroll
• 奈良なら (Nara): Nara (an old capital south of Kyoto, about 40 minutes by train)
• 財布さいふ (saifu): wallet
• 反対はんたい (hantai): opposite; the other direction
• 置おく (oku): to put, to place
• なくす (nakusu): to lose

Grammar 1 / 4: ところに・ところを

ところに／ところへ = just when ~ (someone suddenly comes, something happens). ところを = in the middle of ~ (seen, helped).

• ところに／ところへ = just when ~, something happens: Use it when, at a certain moment, someone suddenly comes, a call arrives, or something happens: 出でかけようと した ところに、電話でんわが 来きた。 = Just as I was about to leave, a call came. ところへ means almost the same, and often goes with verbs of coming toward you, like 来くる or 入はいって くる.
• Three moments can come before it: Dictionary form / 〜ようと した = about to ~; 〜ている = in the middle of ~; た-form = just finished ~. Like the 〜ところだ you learned before, the form before it shows which moment it is.
• ちょうど いい ところに: A common phrase: ちょうど いい ところに 来きましたね = You came at just the right time (I needed you). Neko-sensei says this in the comic.
• ところを = seen or helped in the middle of ~: Often followed by 見みられる, 見みつかる, 助たすける: 寝ねて いる ところを 見みられた = Someone saw me sleeping. Here we use を, not に.

• ちょうど いい ところに 来きましたね。 — You came just in time.
• 出でかけようと した ところに、電話でんわが 来きた。 — Just as I was about to leave, a call came.
• ご飯はんを 食たべて いる ところへ、友ともだちが 来きた。 — Just as I was eating, a friend came.
• 寝ねて いる ところを 写真しゃしんに とられた。 — My sleeping face got photographed.
• 道みちが わからなくて 困こまって いる ところを、駅えきの 人ひとに 助たすけて もらった。 — I was lost and in trouble, and a station staff member helped me.

Grammar 2 / 4: ところだった

（もう少すこしで）dictionary form＋ところだった = almost ~: a bad thing nearly happened, but luckily it didn't.

• = almost ~ (luckily not): Use it when a bad thing nearly happened: もう少すこしで 遅おくれる ところだった = I was almost late. The speaker feels "Phew, that was close!"
• How to form it: dictionary form + ところだった: 忘わすれる ところだった, 乗のる ところだった. Polite: ところでした. It often comes with もう少すこしで (almost) or あぶなかった (that was close).
• Not for things that really happened: If you really were late, just say 遅おくれた or 遅おくれて しまった. ところだった always means "in the end it didn't happen".
• Without もう少すこしで: I was just about to ~: ところだった is also the past of ところだ (about to ~): ちょうど 電話でんわする ところだった = I was just about to call (you). Decide by checking for もう少すこしで and the context.

• もう少すこしで 遅おくれる ところだった。 — I was almost late.
• もう少すこしで パスポートを 忘わすれる ところでした。 — I almost forgot my passport.
• あぶなかった！ もう少すこしで 財布さいふを なくす ところだった。 — Phew! I almost lost my wallet.
• 地図ちずを 見みて いなかったら、反対はんたいの 電車でんしゃに 乗のる ところだった。 — I almost took the train going the other way. (I looked at the map just in time.)
• 先生せんせいが 教おしえて くれなかったら、宿題しゅくだいを 忘わすれる ところでした。 — I almost forgot my homework. (The teacher reminded me just in time.)

Grammar 3 / 4: かける・かけの

ます-form stem＋かける = halfway through, started but not finished; it can also mean "about to ~". 〜かけの＋noun = a half-done ~.

• かけの＋noun = a half-done ~: 読よみかけの 本ほん (a half-read book), 食たべかけの パン (half-eaten bread), 飲のみかけの ジュース (a half-drunk juice). The thing is still there, and the action is not finished.
• 〜かけて、〜 = stopped halfway: 何なにか 言いいかけて、やめた = He started to say something, then stopped. It is often followed by やめる (to stop, to quit).
• 〜かける = about to ~, starting to ~: 眠ねむりかけた = I was about to fall asleep; 日本語にほんごの 歌うたを 忘わすれかけて いた = I was starting to forget the Japanese song. The change has just begun and isn't complete yet.
• Form and conjugation: ます-form stem＋かける. かける itself is a Group 2 verb: かけない, かけた, かけて. For "finished eating" say 食たべ終おわる; かける always means "still in the middle".

• 読よみかけの 本ほんを かばんに 入いれた。 — I put the half-read book in my bag.
• 食たべかけの パンを テーブルに 置おいて、出でかけた。 — I left the half-eaten bread on the table and went out.
• くまたは 何なにか 言いいかけて、やめた。 — Kumata started to say something, then stopped.
• 電車でんしゃの 中なかで 眠ねむりかけた ところに、電話でんわが 来きた。 — Just as I was about to fall asleep on the train, a call came.
• 書かきかけの 手紙てがみが 机つくえの 上うえに ある。 — There is a half-written letter on the desk.

Grammar 4 / 4: ついでに

〜ついでに = while doing A, also do B: A is what you were going to do anyway, and B is the extra you add.

• = while doing A, also do B: You use the chance of doing A to do B as well: 散歩さんぽの ついでに パンを 買かった = I went for a walk and bought bread while I was at it. A is the main thing, B is the side thing.
• Form: noun＋の / dictionary form / た-form: 散歩さんぽの ついでに; 行いく ついでに; 行いった ついでに. After a noun, add の.
• 行いく ついでに vs 行いった ついでに: 駅えきへ 行いく ついでに = on the way to the station; 京都きょうとへ 行いった ついでに = once I got to Kyoto, while there. Use the dictionary form when B happens on the way to A, and the た-form when B happens after arriving.
• Don't mix it up with ながら and ために: ながら = doing two things at the same time (聞ききながら 勉強べんきょうする); ために = in order to ~ (purpose); ついでに = while doing A, also do B. At the start of a sentence, ついでに alone means "while you're at it...": ついでに、ジュースも 買かって きて くれる?

• 散歩さんぽの ついでに、パンを 買かった。 — I went for a walk and bought bread while I was at it.
• 駅えきへ 行いく ついでに、この 手紙てがみを 出だして くれませんか。 — When you go to the station, could you mail this letter on the way?
• 京都きょうとへ 行いった ついでに、奈良ならにも 寄よった。 — When I went to Kyoto, I also visited Nara while I was at it.
• 買かい物ものの ついでに、郵便局ゆうびんきょくに 寄よりました。 — While shopping, I stopped by the post office.
• 仕事しごとの ついでに、昔むかしの 友ともだちに 会あいに 行いった。 — Taking the chance of a work trip, I also met an old friend.