N3 Time, Sequences, and Change

~ところだった: meaning, usage and examples

~ところだった means: I almost... / was about to...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. タクシーにスマホを忘わすれるところだった。

   I almost left my smartphone in the taxi.

2. もう少すこしで、電車でんしゃに乗のり遅おくれるところだった。

   I very nearly missed the train.

3. 危あやうく大事だいじな書類しょるいを捨すてるところでした。

   I nearly threw away an important document.

4. アラームがなかったら、寝坊ねぼうするところでした。

   Without my alarm, I would have overslept.

When to use it

Use ところだった to say that something bad almost happened but did not: "I nearly..." or "I almost..." もう少すこしで約束やくそくを忘わすれるところだった means "I almost forgot the appointment." It often comes with もう少すこしで, 危あやうく or a condition like 〜なかったら that shows how close it was.

Nuance

It expresses relief that a bad result was avoided; the event itself did not happen. In some contexts it can also mean "I was just about to do X" (ちょうど電話でんわするところだった), but the "nearly" meaning is the one most tested at N3.

Compare

ところだ without the past describes your situation now: 今いま出でかけるところだ (I am about to leave). ところだった looks back at a near miss: 遅刻ちこくするところだった (I was nearly late). そうになった is similar but describes a physical near miss as it happened: 転ころびそうになった (I nearly fell).

Tip: The verb stays in the dictionary form even though the event is past: 忘わすれるところだった, not 忘わすれたところだった.