Minna No Nihongo Lesson 46 Grammar

Minna No Nihongo Lesson 46 Grammar

V dictionary form Vて-formいる Vた-form

ところです

 

The wordところ originally means “place”, but it is also used to indicate a temporal position. The ところthat you learn in this lesson is the latter and is used to stress a certain point in time during the course of action.

1) V dictionary formところです

This sentence pattern shows that a person is about to start doing something or something is about to start. It may be used together with これから, [ちょうど]いまから, etc., which makes the meaning clearer.

昼ごはんはもう食べましたか。

いいえ、これから食べるところです。

Have you had lunch yet?

No, I’m going to have it now.

会議はもう始まりましたか。

いいえ、今から始まるところです。

Has the meeting begun yet?

No, it’s just beginning now.

2) Vて-formいるところです

This sentence pattern shows that a person is now doing a certain action or a certain action is now being done. It is often used with いま.

故障の原因がわかりましたか。

いいえ。今調べているところです。

Do you know what caused the breakdown?

No. We are investigating now.

3) Vた-form ところです

This sentence pattern shows that a person has just finished a certain action or a certain action has just been completed. It is used together with たったいま, etc.

渡辺さんはいますか。

あ、たった今帰ったところです。

まだエレベーターの所にいるかもしれません。

Is Ms. Watanabe here?

Oh, she’s just left.

She may be somewhere near the elevator.

たった今バスが出たところです。

The bus left just now.

[Note] ～ところですis a noun sentence and is used in various structures. See this sentence below.

もしもし田中ですが、今いいでしょうか。

すみません。今から出かけるところなんです。

Hello. This is Tanaka speaking. May I talk to you now?

Sorry. I’m just going out.

2. Vた-form ばかりです

This sentence pattern means that not much time has passed since a certain action or event occurred. It is the expression of the speaker’s feeling and can be used regardless of the real length of time that has passed if the speaker feels it is short. In this respect, this sentence pattern is different from Vた-formところです, which can only indicate the time when a certain action has just been completed.

さっき昼ごはんを食べたばかりです。

I had lunch only a while ago.

木村さんは先月この会社に入ったばかりです。

Ms. Kimura joined this company only a month ago.

[Note] ～ばかりですis a noun sentence and is used in various structures. See this sentence below.

このビデオは先週買ったばかりなのに、調子がおかしいです。

I bought this video only a week ago, but it isn’t working well.

V dictionary form Vた-form Vない-formない い-adj (～い) な-adjな Nの

はずです

 

The speaker uses this sentence pattern to show he/she is convinced of what is stated before はずです. By using this sentence pattern, the speaker implies that he/she has grounds to think so, that it is his/her own judgement, and that he/she is quite sure of it.

ミラーさんはきょう来るでしょうか。(*)

来るはずですよ。きのう電話がありましたから。

Do you think Mr. Miller will come today?

I’m sure he’ll come. I received a phone call from him yesterday.

In (*), the grounds for the speaker’s judgement is yesterday’s phone call. Based on this call, the speaker himself judges that Mr. Miller will come today. The speaker shows his/her firm belief in this judgement by using ～はずです.

.