Understanding ところ: All Usages Shown

The word tokoro (ところ/所), originating from the Old Japanese term “tokourayo” (とこうらよ/床裏世). Is a compound consisting of:

• toko (床) – a place for sleeping
• ura (裏) – inner/deep inside
• yo (世) – world

Originally, it referred to the spiritual realm where the dead rest—quite literally, the world beyond the sleeping place. Over centuries, this meaning expanded from this specific spiritual location to encompass both physical and abstract spaces.

Modern Usage

1. Physical Locations

The most straightforward use of ところ is to indicate physical location:

2. Abstract Concepts

Modern Japanese has evolved tokoro to express more abstract concepts:

Specific Place

Specific Moment

Specific Physical Points

3. Special Grammar Functions

Progressive Actions

A quite useful function of ところ is marking a point or moment within an action that is in progress or about to happen. However, this usage requires careful attention to verb types and aspects.

Correct Usage:

❌ Incorrect Usage:

Why the Incorrect Example Doesn’t Work

In English we have the convenience of being able to express ongoing actions using a unified system – the continues (-ing). Japanese, however, makes a distinction between state change verbs and verbs that go through a process to arrive at the end.

This brings us to an important point about ところ and state/action distinction. To use ところ correctly, we need to understand if we’re dealing with:

Ongoing Actions/Progressive States:

• Can use ところ
• Example: 食べている (eating)
• These are dynamic, ongoing processes

Resultant States:

• Cannot use ところ
• Example: 閉まっている (being closed)
• These are static conditions resulting from completed actions

How to Identify Verb Types:

Action Verbs with Clear Endpoints:

• Like 書く (write)
• Can have both ongoing (書いている = is writing) and resultant (書いている = has written) meanings
• Tokoro works only with the ongoing meaning

State-Change Verbs:

• Like 死ぬ (die)
• Primarily take resultant readings (死んでいる = is dead)
• Generally don’t work with ところ

Continuous Activity Verbs:

• Like 歩く (walk)
• Usually take progressive readings
• Work well with ところ

See also -> いる

❌ Incorrect Usage:

“死んでいるところだ” would not work because 死んでいる is a resultant state – when someone is dead, they are in the state of having died.

However, you can say:

• 死にかけているところだ = “is in the process of dying”
• 死ぬところだ = “is about to die”

This is similar to English where we say “is dying” for the process but not “is being dead” for the state.

Also why 死んでいる can’t be progressive:

• State-change verbs like 死ぬ indicate a change from alive → dead
• Once the change happens, it’s a resultant state
• You can’t be “in the middle of being dead” – you either are or aren’t

4. Regional Production Markers (-どころ)

An interesting modern usage is the -どころ suffix indicating areas famous for specific products:

5. Approximation

ところ can indicate approximate amounts:

ところ indicates a point on a conceptual scale or range. When saying “10分がところ” (about 10 minutes), you’re marking a rough “spot” on a timeline – not exactly 10 minutes, but somewhere around that point. It’s used more as a focus particle in this case.

Common Patterns and Expressions

Some frequently used ところ expressions:

ところで

• Used as a topic transition
• Similar to “by the way” or “speaking of which”

ところが

• Indicates contrast
• Similar to “however” or “but”

See also -> が

ところか

• Shows disapproval towards A and strengthens B
• Similar to “let alone” or “anything but”

Tips for Identifying

When using ところ with ている constructions, ask yourself:

• Is this describing an ongoing action or a static state?
• Can I “see” the action happening?
• Is there movement or change occurring?

If it’s a static state showing an immediate switch, avoid using ところ.

Remember that ところ works best with:

• Actions that show a progress not an instant change
• Actions about to happen
• Actions just completed

By understanding these distinctions, you can use ところ more naturally and avoid common pitfalls in your Japanese communication.