Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 4: 14/18

どころではないThis is not the time for…, Far from, Out of the question

Structure

Phrase + どころ + ではない
Phrase + どころ + じゃない

Details

  • Standard

About どころではない

When the voiced form of ところ 'place', どころ appears in Japanese, it will very often be part of a set phrase expressing some kind of negative situation or evaluation. どころではない is no different, and highlights that it is 'far from (A)', or that '(A) is out of the question'. These translations appear when the actual situation is considered to be even more remarkable than the phrase that どころではない is attached to.

This grammar pattern will be seen at the end of phrases indicating some situation which is not ideal. Additionally, ではない may be replaced with じゃない in more casual settings.

どころではない may also sometimes be translated as 'it is not the time for (A)'. In sentences that use this interpretation, (A) is considered to be something that there is no allowance for due to there being far more important matters. This use will reflect the personal opinion of the speaker.

Antonyms

Related

Examples

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  • 休(やす)みの日(ひ)はたくさん寝(ね)たい。レジャーどころではない。

    On my day off, I want to sleep a lot. Leisure activities are out of the question.

  • 腰(こし)を痛(いた)めてしまったから、マラソンどころではありません。

    I unfortunately injured my lower back, a marathon is out of the question.

  • 熱(ねつ)があるというのに、遊園(ゆうえん)地(ち)どころではないよ。

    When you have a fever, it is not the time to go to an amusement park.

  • なんとか通(つう)じればいい。アクセントどころではありません。

    It would be good if you could somehow communicate. This is not the time to worry about accent.

  • 急用(きゅうよう)が入(はい)ったので、お出掛(でか)けどころではなくなった。

    Urgent business came in, so going out became out of the question.

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どころではない – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

  • Melanthe

    Melanthe

    This is another grammar point that would probably be better off if it were split into two (like in Shin Kanzen Master N2, or like here).

  • Alex-Vrtrx

    Alex-Vrtrx

    This example sentence:
    出産は痛いどころではないらしい。

    They say childbirth is far from painful.

    Is weird. It makes it sound like the sentence means childbirth is not painful at all which sounded really weird to me so I put the Japanese sentence through deepl and sure enough it gives me: “Childbirth is apparently far more than just painful.” But duckduckgos translator gives me exactly the translation thats currently in the lesson.
    Looking at other sites about this grammar point, I found one stating that its a strong negation while the other says Ａどころではない means something is more than A (in this case the “far more than just painful” translation).
    So whats the correct translation in this case? What does どころではない actually stand for? Is the “far from” translation in this lesson meant as higher than A instead of the “not even close to A” I would think of when hearing “far from”?

    Edit: I think I got the answer already. In the lesson the sentence:
    “These...

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