This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

私はもう少しで皿を落とすところだった。

Sentence Analyzer

もう少し 落とす ところ だった

English Translation

I almost dropped the plates.

Furigana

(わたし)はもう(すこ)しで(さら)()とすところだった。

Romanji

Watashi wa mōsukoshi de sara o otosu tokoro datta.

Words

(わたし、わたくし)
I; me; private affairs; personal matter; secrecy; selfishness
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
もう少し (もうすこし)
a bit more; a bit longer
(で、にて)
indicates location of action; at; in; indicates time of action; indicates means of action; cause of effect; by; and then; so; indicates continuing action; indicates certainty, emphasis, etc.
(さら)
plate; dish; platter; disc; serving; helping; course; kanji radical 108 (at the bottom)
()
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
落とす (おとす)
to drop; to lose; to let fall; to shed (light); to cast (one's gaze); to pour in (liquid); to leave behind; to clean off (dirt, makeup, paint, etc.); to remove (e.g. stains or facial hair); to lose; to spend money at a certain place; to omit; to leave out; to secretly let escape; to lose (a match); to reject (an applicant); to fail (a course); to defeat (in an election); to lower (e.g. shoulders or voice); to lessen (e.g. production or body weight); to worsen (quality); to reduce (e.g. rank or popularity); to speak badly of; to make light of; to fall into straitened circumstances; to fall into (e.g. a dilemma or sin); to make one's own; to have one's bid accepted; to force surrender; to take (e.g. an enemy camp or castle); to forcefully convince; to press for a confession; to deal with; to download; to copy from a computer to another medium; to make someone swoon (judo); to finish a story (e.g. with the punch line); to finish (a period, e.g. of fasting)
(ところ、とこ)
place; spot; scene; site; address; district; area; locality; one's house; point; part; space; room; whereupon; as a result; about to; on the verge of; was just doing; was in the process of doing; have just done; just finished doing
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: シ、 わたくし、 わたし
Meanings: private, I, me
Readings: ショウ、 すく.ない、 すこ.し
Meanings: few, little
Readings: ベイ、 さら
Meanings: dish, a helping, plate
Readings: ラク、 お.ちる、 お.ち、 お.とす
Meanings: fall, drop, come down, village, hamlet