At a glance
～たところ means "when I did A, B turned out to be the result" or "upon doing A, I found B". It describes a real past event and what happened or was discovered because of it.
Verb た-form + ところ、[result / discovery]。
医者に診てもらったところ、ただの風邪だと言われました。 When I had the doctor examine me, I was told it was just a cold.
How to form it
Attach ところ to the た-form of the verb. The second clause is usually in the past.
| Verb group | Dictionary form | た-form | + ところ |
|---|---|---|---|
| う-verb | 聞く | 聞いた | 聞いたところ |
| る-verb | 調べる | 調べた | 調べたところ |
| する | 相談する | 相談した | 相談したところ |
| 来る | 来る | 来た | 来たところ |
It is often combined with ～てみる: 行ってみたところ "when I tried going".
Register: slightly formal. It is common in polite speech, emails and reports.