Structure
Verb + ところ（を）
［い］Adjective + ところ（を）
［な］Adjective + ところ（を）
Noun + の + ところ（を）
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About ところを
Being a combination of the noun ところ 'place' or 'situation', and the adverbial particle を, ところを is a grammar construction that will be used in order to express 2 primary meanings. The first is 'in spite of (A)', or 'regardless of (A)'. This nuance of ところ will be that the speaker is politely acknowledging the situation that someone else is in, and apologizing for interrupting them in that moment.
ところを may come after any structure that could pair with a noun. This means verbs in their standard forms, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives followed by な, or nouns followed by の.
The second meaning that ところを is often used for will simply be 'when (A)', or 'at the time of (A)', with a focus on being a situation in which the action of (A) is interrupted by (B). This may have either a positive or negative nuance.
This use of ところを will appear exclusively after verbs in any of their standard forms.
The を itself may be omitted when used to express either of these meanings.
Fun Fact
ところを is occasionally split into two different grammar points depending on the source. However, it is important to remember that the underlying meaning of both of these is the same. ところ marks the place or situation, while を marks how that situation is being utilized either positively or negatively. When it comes to apologizing, the speaker themselves is the one 'using' that moment with を, and is therefore acknowledging that.
Examples
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先生からの返信のお礼を言う：「お忙しいところ、ご返信ありがとうございます。」
Expressing gratitude to a teacher for their reply: 'In spite of being busy, thank you for your reply.'
目上の人に尋ねる：「お急ぎのところ恐縮ですが、このプロジェクトについてのご意見をお聞かせ願えませんか。」
Asking a superior: 'I hate to trouble you when you are in such a hurry, but could you let me hear your opinion about this project?' (in spite of)
メール：「ご病気中のところ恐れ入りますが、田中先生の携帯の番号を教えていただけますでしょうか。」
Email: 'I am awfully sorry to trouble you when you are ill, but could you tell me Mr. Tanaka's cell number?' (in spite of)
駅の放送：「この電車は、三分遅れて到着いたします。お急ぎのところ、ご迷惑をおかけいたします。」
Station announcement: 'This train will arrive three minutes late. We apologize for the inconvenience while you are in a rush.' (in spite of)
会議での冒頭の挨拶：「皆様、本日はご多忙のところお越しいただき、ありがとうございます。」
Greetings on the outset of a conference: 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming today despite being so busy.' (in spite of)
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ところを – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (1 in total)
wrt7MameLZE33wlmpCAV
I came across another usage of ところを・とこを that doesn’t match up with this grammar point at all, which makes me wonder if they should be regarded as different senses entirely.
The source is A Dictionary of Japanese Particles by Sue Kawashima (published by Kodansha). The entry is on pp. 217, 218.
ところを
Indicates that something unexpected has happened or is happening. Colloquial form: “toko-o とこを.”
English approximation: “although (usually) …”
And there are three example sentences given, which I’ll reproduce here.
主人は、いつもなら十時には帰ってくるところを、今度はまだ帰らない。
Although my husband usually comes home before ten o’clock, he hasn’t come home yet tonight.いつもの年なら、今ごろは山は雪で白くなるところを、今年は暖かくてまだ全然雪がありません。
Although usually at this point, the mountains turn white with snow, this year, it’s warm and there is still no snow at all.いつもなら七時には起きるとこを、今朝は目覚...
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