ところを

The grammar pattern ところを is used to express that something happens despite or in spite of a certain situation or circumstance. It highlights that the action in the main clause occurs even though the situation described before ところを would normally prevent it or make it unexpected. It often carries a sense of gratitude, apology, or imposition – acknowledging that you are intruding upon someone's time or state.

Expressing gratitude or apology for an imposition

The most common usage of ところを is in polite expressions where the speaker acknowledges that they are imposing on someone who is in a particular state (busy, resting, etc.).

This usage is very common in formal and business Japanese. The speaker shows consideration for the other person's situation.

Expressing "despite" or "even though"

ところを can also be used more broadly to mean "even though (the situation was such that…)" or "when one was about to / in the middle of…". It indicates that an external action interrupts or overrides the expected course of events.

In these cases, ところを marks the moment or situation that was interrupted by the action in the main clause. The verb before ところを is often in the 〜～ようとする form (about to do) or the 〜～ている form (in the middle of doing).

With adjectives and nouns

Though the structure primarily uses verbs, it can also follow adjective phrases or noun phrases describing a state:

Key nuances

• ところを is formal in tone and is frequently found in business settings, letters, and polite speech.
• When used to describe an interruption, it emphasizes the unexpected or inconvenient nature of the second event relative to the first.
• It differs from simply using のに ("even though") because ところを specifically focuses on a particular moment or state being intruded upon, rather than a general contradiction.