～ところだった (〜tokoro datta)
Explanation
Expresses a near miss or a situation that almost happened; 'was just about to', 'almost', 'nearly'.
Formation
Verb (dictionary form or ている form) + ところだった
Detailed Explanation
The ～ところだった grammar point is used to express a situation that almost occurred or something that the speaker was just about to do. It can be translated as 'was just about to', 'almost', or 'nearly' in English. Typically, it is formed with the dictionary form or ている form of a verb + ところだった.
Examples
もう少しで遅れるところだった。
Mou sukoshi de okureru tokoro datta.
I was just about to be late.
彼が危うく事故にあうところだった。
Kare ga ayauku jiko ni au tokoro datta.
He almost had an accident.
電車に乗るところだったが、ドアが閉まってしまった。
Densha ni noru tokoro datta ga, doa ga shimatte shimatta.
I was just about to get on the train, but the door closed.
忘れ物をするところだった。
Wasuremono wo suru tokoro datta.
I almost forgot my belongings.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.