Verb た + ところです (Just finished doing [Verb])

Core / Completion of Action & Fresh Occurrence

👀 Layer A: Visual Guide

📝 Quick Summary

This grammar pattern connects to the Verb た-form to express that an action was completed moments ago (“just finished doing X”). It completes the 3-stage tokoro timeline.

Structure: [Verb た-form] + ところです
Example 1: いまひるごはんを たべたところです (I just finished eating lunch right now).
Example 2: いまうちに かえったところです (I just got home right now).

🔗 Connected Grammar:

🔍 Layer B: Deepening

💡 Raya’s Hack

Objective Recency: TOKORO vs. BAKARI
Both ~ta tokoro and ~ta bakari translate to “just finished doing”, but they differ in time precision:

– たところ (ta-tokoro): Strict objective recency (seconds or minutes ago). You literally just completed the action.
– たばかり (ta-bakari): Subjective recency (can be days, weeks, or months ago, as long as it feels brand new to you).

Example: You can say “Nihon ni kita bakari desu” (I just came to Japan) 1 month after arriving, but you can only say “Nihon ni tsuta tokoro desu” at the airport right after landing!