るところだ

The structure るところだ is used to express that someone is about to do something or is on the verge of doing something. The action has not yet started, but it is imminent – the person is at the point right before it begins.

Key nuances

This pattern emphasizes the precise timing – the moment just before an action begins. It is often paired with time-related words like いま今 (now), ちょうど (just/exactly), and これから (from now).

The past form るところだった indicates that someone was about to do something. This can also imply that the action was narrowly avoided or interrupted.

Related forms: ているところだ and たところだ

Japanese uses ところ with different verb forms to pinpoint three stages of an action:

• るところだ – about to do (before the action)
• ているところだ – in the middle of doing (during the action)
• たところだ – just did (right after the action)

Polite form

In polite speech, だ becomes です: