JLPT N2
どころか
Far from / Let alone
Structure
Noun/Plain form どころか
How it works
This grammar point is used to emphasize that the actual situation is very different from, or even the opposite of, what was expected. It highlights that not only is the first level not reached, but a much more extreme situation exists. It can be translated as 'far from' or 'let alone'.
Examples
忙しくて、旅行どころか休みも取れない。
I'm so busy that I can't even take a day off, let alone go on a trip.
彼女の病気は良くなるどころか、ますます悪化している。
Far from getting better, her illness is getting worse and worse.
漢字どころか、ひらがなも書けない。
I can't even write hiragana, let alone kanji.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse this with 'ばかりか' (not only); while both indicate addition, 'どころか' is used when the second part is much more extreme or contradictory to the first.
Tip
Think of it as 'Standard expectation + どころか + Surprising reality'. The second part of the sentence usually contains a negation or a more intense situation than the first.
More JLPT N2 grammar
See どころか in real Japanese
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