This means something happens right when another thing is happening. It is like saying 'just as' or 'at the moment when'.
Verb [て-form] + いる + ところをPrimary
Verb [dictionary form] + ところを
Verb [た-form] + ところを
い-Adjective + ところを
な-Adjective + な + ところを
This means something happens right when another thing is happening. It is like saying 'just as' or 'at the moment when'.
お忙しいところを申し訳ありませんが、少々お時間をいただけますでしょうか。
I am very sorry to bother you when you are busy, but could I have a moment of your time?
犯人が国外へ逃亡しようとしたところを、空港で逮捕された。
Just as the criminal was attempting to flee the country, they were arrested at the airport.
危ないところを助けていただいたのに、きちんとお礼も言えませんでした。
Even though you saved me from a dangerous situation, I wasn't able to thank you properly.
ちょうど昼食を食べ終えたところを、急な来客があって対応に追われた。
Right after I had finished eating lunch, a sudden visitor arrived and I was busy dealing with them.
こっそり夜食を食べているところを、姉に見られてしまった。
I was seen by my older sister just as I was secretly having a midnight snack.
This is different from other 'although' words. '〜ものの' just shows a general contrast. '〜ものを' shows strong regret. '〜ところを' focuses on a specific moment. It shows when something was interrupted or found.
Don't use this when the second part of the sentence is not about what happened to the first part's subject. For example, you cannot say "I was walking, and the sky was blue." The part after "ところを" is usually about something happening to the person. It is often a passive verb. Or it is a verb like "see," "find," "help," or "catch." This phrase always goes in the middle of a sentence. You cannot end a sentence with it.
Use this when you want to say something happened right when another thing was going on. It can also make requests or apologies sound softer.
Track your mastery
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.