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JLPT N3 · Sentence patterns

どころか (dokoro ka)

～どころか — “far from ～ / let alone ～”

In short · Strongly denies what the listener expects (A) and gives something quite different or more extreme (B). Two uses: “far from A, rather the opposite B”, and “not even A, much less B”. It attaches to the plain form (な-adj: な / noun: without だ).
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Pattern

  • 普通形＋どころか、（むしろ）B far from A, rather the opposite B
  • 名詞／数量＋どころか、Bさえ…ない not even A, let alone B

Opposite result

かぜはよくなるどころか、もっとひどくなった: my cold didn’t get better, it got worse. A is what you would expect; B is the actual, opposite result. The speaker is often upset or surprised.

Even more extreme

お金がないどころか、借金がある: not only no money, but debt. B is stronger than A in the same direction. Usually the sentence continues with Bも / Bさえ (にも, までも).

Points to remember

After どころか, a clause with the usual particles follows: 謝るどころか、逆に怒り出した. It is only for emphasis on contrast; not a polite expression and quite colloquial.

Examples

  • かぜは よくなる どころか、もっと ひどくなった。

    Kaze wa yokunaru dokoro ka, motto hidoku natta.

    Far from getting better, my cold got worse.

  • 謝（あやま）るどころか、彼（かれ）は逆（ぎゃく）に怒（おこ）り出（だ）した。

    Ayamaru dokoro ka, kare wa gyaku ni okoridashita.

    Far from apologizing, he got angry instead.

  • 楽（らく）になるどころか、仕事（しごと）はますます増（ふ）えた。

    Raku ni naru dokoro ka, shigoto wa masumasu fueta.

    Far from getting easier, the work only kept increasing.

Common mistakes

  • Don’t confuse どころか (denial + contrast) with どころではない (“no time for that”): different meaning.
  • な-adjectives take な (静かなどころか) and nouns take no だ (子どもどころか).

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