JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 3

～と…た・～たら…た・～たところ (discovery)

Describe what you discovered after doing something

You’ll be able to report a result or discovery after an action, and distinguish ～たところ followed by a result from ～たところだ meaning “just finished.”

Illustration of the scene described by When I opened the curtains, I found snow piled up outside.
Read it first

カーテンを開あけたら、外そとに雪ゆきが積つもっていました。

kaaten o aketara, soto ni yuki ga tsumotte imashita.

What do you think this sentence means?

When I opened the curtains, I found snow piled up outside.

Why it means that

Discover an unexpected result

～と…た, ～たら…た, and ～たところ can report an unexpected result discovered after doing something. The second event is often a fact the speaker notices, not a planned consequence.

Examples

家いえに帰かえると、母ははが来きていました。

ie ni kaeru to, haha ga kite imashita.

When I got home, I found that my mother had come over.

店みせに電話でんわしたところ、今日きょうは休やすみでした。

mise ni denwa shita tokoro, kyou wa yasumi deshita.

When I called the shop, I found out it was closed today.

How it is built

Put the action before the discovery

Use dictionary form + と, past plain form + ら, or past plain form + ところ followed by the discovered result. ～たところだ without a following result instead means “have just finished,” so keep the two uses separate.

Verb dictionary form+と, orVerb た-form+ら・ところ→discovered result (past)
Example

駅えきに着ついたところ、電車でんしゃはもう出でたあとでした。

eki ni tsuita tokoro, densha wa mou deta ato deshita.

When I arrived at the station, I found that the train had already left.

Compare

～たところ、vs ～たところだ

The same ～たところ changes meaning with what follows. With a result after it, it reports what you found; ending the sentence with だ／です, it only says the action has just finished.

  • ～たところ、, when I did …, I found

    箱はこを開あけたところ、中なかは空からでした。

    hako o aketa tokoro, naka wa kara deshita.

    When I opened the box, I found it was empty.

    A result follows, so this reports a discovery.

  • ～たところだ, have just done

    箱はこを開あけたところです。

    hako o aketa tokoro desu.

    I have just opened the box.

    Nothing follows, so this only says the opening has just happened.

Examples

郵便受ゆうびんうけを開あけると、知しらない人ひとからの手紙てがみが入はいっていました。

yuubin’uke o akeru to, shiranai hito kara no tegami ga haitte imashita.

When I opened the mailbox, there was a letter from someone I didn’t know.

医者いしゃに診みてもらったところ、骨ほねは折おれていませんでした。

isha ni mite moratta tokoro, hone wa orete imasen deshita.

When I had a doctor examine me, it turned out my bone wasn’t broken.

冷蔵庫れいぞうこを開あけたら、牛乳ぎゅうにゅうがなくなっていた。

reizouko o aketara, gyuunyuu ga naku natte ita.

When I opened the fridge, I found the milk was gone.

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