Lesson 8
Time (2): Sequence & Timing
- 1 〜次第 ~shidai as soon as "The moment it's ready, I'll do this" — the formal promise you make at work.
- 2 〜てからでないと ~te kara de nai to unless ~ is done first That has to happen first, or this can't — where the order is compulsory.
- 3 〜たところ ~ta tokoro when I did ~, I found What you found out by trying — a written pattern linking an attempt to its discovery.
- 4 〜ところだった ~tokoro datta almost happened "Phew, that was close" — it nearly happened, but didn't.
- 5 〜てはじめて ~te hajimete only after ~ Something you only understand once you've lived it.
Lesson check
All 5 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「準備ができ＿、すぐに連絡します。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:It's followed by すぐに and a promise.
Vます＋次第 = 'as soon as ~' (for what you will do). できたところ reports a finding, and できてはじめて means 'only after', which clashes with すぐに.
「店長に＿、休みは決められない。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A negative (決められない) follows.
Vて＋からでないと〜ない = 'can't until ~ first'. 聞き次第 isn't followed by a negative, and 聞いてはじめて leads to a new realisation, not 'can't'.
「病院で調べてもらった＿、何も問題がなかった。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:What you found out after doing it.
Vた＋ところ = 'when I did ~, I found…'. ところだった means 'almost', and 次第 needs the ます-stem, not Vた.
「危なかった！もう少しで電車に乗り遅れる＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:What does もう少しで point to?
Dictionary form＋ところだった = 'almost ~' (but it didn't happen). The other three can't follow the dictionary form.
「親に＿、親の大変さが分かった。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Something you only understood after that experience.
Vて＋はじめて = 'only after ~ (did I realise)'. なってからでないと needs a negative after it, and なり次第 isn't used for a past realisation.
「ビザが＿、働くことはできません。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:What has to happen first?
〜てからでないと〜ない = 'not possible until ~'. 出次第 isn't followed by 'can't', and 出てはじめて leads to a positive realisation.
Which is unnatural?
💡 Hint:Can 次第 be followed by the past tense?
次第 is always followed by something still to be done (します, してください), never a past action (しました).
「あ、危ない！大事な書類を出すのを＿。」 — which says 'I almost forgot'?
💡 Hint:It didn't happen, but it nearly did.
Dictionary form＋ところだった = 'almost ~'. 忘れたところ says you already forgot, which doesn't fit 危ない.
Your score: /8