Minna no Nihongo Lesson 46: About to, doing, just did — JLPT N4 Grammar | Rirekisho Builder

Core idea of Lesson 46: Japanese often describes an action by looking at its position on a timeline. ～ところです tells us exactly where the action is: just before it starts, in progress, or immediately after it ends. ～たばかりです is less exact and means “not long ago.” ～はずです is different: it expresses what the speaker logically expects to be true.

Lesson 46 at a glance

Vるところです

About to do something.

Vているところです

Right in the middle of doing something.

Vたところです / Vたばかりです

Just finished / did something recently.

～はずです

A logical expectation: “should be / ought to be / is expected to.”

1. ～ところです — where an action is on the timeline

ところ literally means “place,” but in this grammar it means the point or stage of an action.

Imagine a timeline:

before the action → during the action → just after the action

Japanese uses three different forms of the verb with ところ to show these three positions.

1A. Dictionary form + ところです — “about to do”

Verb dictionary form + ところです

Use this when the action has not started yet, but it is about to begin. The speaker is at the moment immediately before starting.

Example 1 — About to eat

これから昼ひるご飯はんを食たべるところです。

Kore kara hirugohan o taberu tokoro desu.

I'm just about to eat lunch.

Example 2 — About to start

映画えいがはちょうど今いまから始はじまるところです。

Eiga wa chōdo ima kara hajimaru tokoro desu.

The movie is just about to start.

今いまから家いえを出でるところです。

I'm just about to leave the house.

Common time expressions: これから (from now), ちょうど今いまから (just now/from this moment) are especially natural with this pattern.

1B. Vている + ところです — “right in the middle of doing”

Verb-ている + ところです

Use this when the action is currently in progress. It puts strong focus on “right now, at this exact stage.”

Example 1 — Investigating now

故障こしょうの原因げんいんを今いま調しらべているところです。

Koshō no gen'in o ima shirabete iru tokoro desu.

We're investigating the cause of the problem right now.

Example 2 — Still deciding

夏休なつやすみにどこへ行いくか、今いま考かんがえているところです。

Natsuyasumi ni doko e iku ka, ima kangaete iru tokoro desu.

I'm thinking right now about where to go for summer vacation.

すみません、今いま会議かいぎをしているところです。

Sorry, I'm in the middle of a meeting right now.

Vています vs Vているところです:
調しらべています。 = I am investigating it.
調しらべているところです。 = I am right in the middle of investigating it now.

The second form feels more immediate and emphasizes the exact current stage.

1C. Vた + ところです — “have just done”

Verb past form + ところです

Use this when an action has just finished. The time gap between finishing the action and speaking is normally very short.

Example 1 — Just wrote it

たった今いま書かいたところです。

Tatta ima kaita tokoro desu.

I just wrote it.

Example 2 — The bus just left

バスはたった今いま出でたところです。

Basu wa tatta ima deta tokoro desu.

The bus has just left.

今いま会社かいしゃに着ついたところです。

I just arrived at the office.

Common time expressions: たった今いま, ちょうど今いま, and simply 今いま fit naturally because this grammar describes something that has just happened.

The three ところ forms together

Form	Time position	Example	Meaning
Vるところです	Immediately before	食たべるところです	I'm about to eat.
Vているところです	In progress	食たべているところです	I'm right in the middle of eating.
Vたところです	Immediately after	食たべたところです	I just ate.

A simple memory trick:
dictionary form = not started yet
ている = happening now
た-form = already finished

ところ + んです / のです

You may also see ところなんです / ところなのです. This combines Lesson 46's ところ with the explanatory grammar ～んです / ～のです.

バスが出でたところなんです。

The bus has just left, you see. / Actually, the bus just left.

The basic time meaning still comes from Vたところ. んです adds an explanatory or contextual tone.

2. Vたばかりです — “just did / did not long ago”

Verb past form + ばかりです

Vたばかりです means the action happened recently from the speaker's point of view. Unlike Vたところです, it does not require the action to have happened only seconds or minutes ago.

Think of it as: “I feel that not much time has passed since I did it.”
The exact amount of time depends on the situation.

Example 1 — Just woke up

起おきたばかりです。

Okita bakari desu.

I just woke up.

Example 2 — Recently discharged from hospital

退院たいいんしたばかりなので、まだスポーツはできません。

Taiin shita bakari na node, mada supōtsu wa dekimasen.

I was only recently discharged from the hospital, so I still can't do sports.

Example 3 — Recently married

あの二人ふたりは去年きょねん結婚けっこんしたばかりなのに、もう離婚りこんしてしまいました。

Ano futari wa kyonen kekkon shita bakari na noni, mō rikon shite shimaimashita.

Even though those two only got married last year, they have already divorced.

Example 4 — Came to Japan one month ago

1か月前げつまえに日本にほんへ来きたばかりです。

Ikkagetsu mae ni Nihon e kita bakari desu.

I only came to Japan a month ago.

The key is not an objective clock. For a new employee, “I joined the company three months ago” may still feel recent. For another situation, even one hour may feel like a long time. ばかり reflects the speaker's sense of recency.

Connecting ばかり to another sentence:

Vたばかりなので～ = because someone has only recently done V...
Vたばかりなのに～ = even though someone has only recently done V...

Because Vたばかり behaves like a noun phrase before these connectors, な appears before ので and のに.

入社にゅうしゃしたばかりなので、まだ仕事しごとに慣なれていません。

I only recently joined the company, so I'm not used to the job yet.

3. Vたところです vs Vたばかりです

Both can translate as “just did”, but they are not the same.

Grammar	How recent?	Speaker's feeling involved?	Typical time words
Vたところです	Immediately / very recently completed	Less subjective	たった今いま、ちょうど今いま
Vたばかりです	Recently, as the speaker sees it	Yes, strongly subjective	先週せんしゅう、 1か月前げつまえ、去年きょねん etc.

たった今いま帰かえったところです。

I've literally just returned.

日本にほんへ来きたばかりです。

I came to Japan recently / I'm still new here. Depending on the context, this could be days, weeks, or even months ago.

Common mistake: Do not assume ばかり always means “a few minutes ago.” That very immediate meaning is better expressed by Vたところです.

4. ～はずです — “should be / is expected to”

～はずです expresses the speaker's logical expectation. You believe something should be true because you have a reason, evidence, information, a schedule, or prior knowledge.

A good English translation is often: “should,” “ought to,” “is supposed to,” or “I expect that…”

The important point is that this is not a random guess. There is normally some basis for the expectation.

Formation

Type	Pattern	Example
Verb	Plain form + はずです	来くるはずです
い-adjective	い-adjective + はずです	おいしいはずです
な-adjective	な-adjective + な + はずです	上手じょうずなはずです
Noun	Noun + の + はずです	休やすみのはずです

Verb + はずです

Example 1 — Delivery should arrive today

昨日きのう宅配便たくはいびんで送おくりましたから、今日きょう着つくはずです。

Kinō takuhaibin de okurimashita kara, kyō tsuku hazu desu.

I sent it by delivery service yesterday, so it should arrive today.

Example 2 — She should come

出席しゅっせきの返事へんじをもらいましたから、彼女かのじょは来くるはずです。

She replied that she would attend, so she should come.

電車でんしゃは 10時じに着つくはずです。

The train should arrive at 10.

Adjective + はずです

い-adjective

案内書あんないしょに書かいてありますから、あのレストランはおいしいはずです。

It says so in the guidebook, so that restaurant should be good.

な-adjective

美術びじゅつを勉強べんきょうしていますから、絵えが上手じょうずなはずです。

They study art, so they should be good at drawing.

Another な-adjective example

あのレストランは予約よやくが必要ひつようなはずです。

A reservation should be necessary at that restaurant.

Noun + の + はずです

今日きょうは店みせが休やすみのはずです。

The store should be closed today.

隣となりの人ひとは留守るすのはずです。

The person next door should be away.

Negative expectation: ～ないはずです

You can also say that something logically should not be the case.

1か月げつぐらい旅行りょこうに行いくと言いっていましたから、家いえには誰だれもいないはずです。

They said they were going away for about a month, so nobody should be at home.

Past expectation: ～たはずです / ～だったはずです

Once you understand the basic pattern, you can also use はず with past plain forms.

田中たなかさんは昨日きのう来きたはずです。

Tanaka should have come yesterday.

会議かいぎは 3時じからだったはずです。

I believe the meeting was supposed to start at 3.

This often appears when you are recalling information: “If I remember correctly, it should have been…”

はずです vs でしょう

Grammar	Feeling	Example
～でしょう	Prediction / probability / “probably”	明日あしたは雨あめでしょう。
～はずです	Logical expectation based on a reason	天気予報てんきよほうで言いっていましたから、明日あしたは雨あめのはずです。

Quick difference:
でしょう = “I think this is probably true.”
はずです = “Given the information I have, this should logically be true.”

はずです vs つもりです

These are completely different despite both sometimes being translated with “should/will.”

来年らいねん日本にほんへ行いくつもりです。

I intend to go to Japan next year. (my intention)

山田やまださんは来年らいねん日本にほんへ行いくはずです。

Yamada should go to Japan next year. (my expectation based on information)

5. Real-life mini conversations

At lunch time

A：昼ひるご飯はんはもう食たべましたか。

A: Have you eaten lunch already?

B：いいえ、これから食たべるところです。

B: No, I'm just about to eat now.

Calling someone at work

A：山田やまださんはいますか。

A: Is Yamada there?

B：たった今いま出でたところです。まだエレベーターの近ちかくにいるかもしれません。

B: They just left. They may still be near the elevator.

Waiting for a delivery

A：荷物にもつは今日きょう着つきますか。

A: Will the package arrive today?

B：はい。昨日きのう宅配便たくはいびんで送おくりましたから、今日きょう着つくはずです。

B: Yes. I sent it yesterday, so it should arrive today.

6. Common mistakes

Mistake 1: using Vるところ for an action already in progress
食たべるところです。 = about to eat.
食たべているところです。 = eating right now.

Mistake 2: using Vたところ for something that happened a long time ago
1か月前げつまえに来きたところです。 is normally unnatural if you literally mean one month ago.
Use: 1か月前げつまえに来きたばかりです。

Mistake 3: forgetting な / の before はず
な-adjective: 上手じょうずなはずです
noun: 休やすみのはずです

Mistake 4: using はずです for your own intention
If you mean “I intend to do it,” use ～つもりです.
はず describes expectation, not intention.

7. Quick cheat sheet

Grammar	Core meaning	Example
Vるところです	Just about to do	出でるところです
Vているところです	Right in the middle of doing	調しらべているところです
Vたところです	Have just done	着ついたところです
Vたばかりです	Did something recently	来きたばかりです
Plain form + はずです	Should logically be / is expected to	来くるはずです

8. Practice

A. Choose the correct ところ form

You are about to leave the office.
これから会社かいしゃを出でる（　　　　）です。
You are in the middle of checking the problem.
今いま問題もんだいを確認かくにんしている（　　　　）です。
The train left only a moment ago.
電車でんしゃはたった今いま出でた（　　　　）です。

ところ
ところ
ところ

The difference comes from the verb form before ところ: 出る / 確認している / 出た.

B. Choose ところ or ばかり

“I arrived only a few seconds ago.”
“I came to Japan one month ago, so I'm still new here.”
“The bus literally just left.”

着ついたところです。
1か月前げつまえに日本にほんへ来きたばかりです。
バスが出でたところです。

C. Complete with はずです

昨日きのう送おくりましたから、今日きょう（着つく）__________。
美術びじゅつを勉強べんきょうしていますから、（上手じょうず）__________。
今日きょうは日曜日にちようびですから、銀行ぎんこうは（休やすみ）__________。

Sample answers — other completions that fit the situation are also correct.

着つくはずです。
上手じょうずなはずです。
休やすみのはずです。

D. Translate into Japanese

I'm just about to eat.
I'm in the middle of checking it now.
I just arrived.
I only came to Japan one month ago.
She should come because she said she would attend.

Sample answers — other natural wordings are also correct.

これから食たべるところです。
今いま確認かくにんしているところです。
たった今いま着ついたところです。
1か月前げつまえに日本にほんへ来きたばかりです。
出席しゅっせきすると言いっていましたから、彼女かのじょは来くるはずです。

9. Final memory rule

Vるところです → 「これからします」

About to start.

Vているところです → 「今いま、している最中さいちゅうです」

Right in the middle of it.

Vたところです → 「たった今いま、終おわりました」

Just finished.

Vたばかりです → 「最近さいきんした、と感かんじています」

Recently did it; it still feels recent.

～はずです → 「理由りゆうがあるので、そうだと思おもいます」

A logical expectation based on information or evidence.

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