〜どころではない: This means you cannot do something. It is not the right time or place. Something else is more important right now.

Dictionary

〜どころではない

This means you cannot do something. It is not the right time or place. Something else is more important right now.

N2 KMT5FormalStandardAdverbial ConstructionMixedStrong Negation Or ImpossibilityGrammar

Noun + どころではないPrimary

Verb [dictionary form] + どころではないPrimary

Noun + どころじゃない

Verb [dictionary form] + どころじゃない

This means you cannot do something. It is not the right time or place. Something else is more important right now.

仕事が山積みで、夏休みどころではないんです。

I'm swamped with work, so a summer vacation is completely out of the question.

PoliteNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeWork & Career Daily Life

高熱が続いて、食事どころではなかった。

With a continuing high fever, I was in no condition to eat.

NeutralPastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeMedicine & Health

ごめん、明日の試験のことで頭がいっぱいで、映画を楽しむどころじゃないんだ。

Sorry, my head is full of tomorrow's exam, so I'm in no state to enjoy a movie.

CasualNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeEducation Music & Entertainment

こんなにうるさいと、勉強どころではなくて集中できない。

When it's this noisy, it's not a situation for studying, and I can't concentrate.

NeutralNon PastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeEducation Daily Life

プロジェクトが炎上し、新しい提案を検討するどころではございません。

The project is on fire; we are in no position whatsoever to consider new proposals.

FormalNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeWork & Career Business & Finance

This phrase shows you are too busy for something. It means something else is much more important. It is like saying, "I can't even think about that now."

This is different from 〜わけがない and 〜はずがない. Those mean something is logically impossible. This phrase means you cannot do something because of your situation. It is also different from 〜どころか. That phrase means "far from X, it's Y."

Don't use this when you simply can't do something. For example, don't say "I can't play the piano" with this phrase. This phrase is for when something else is more important.

Use this when you want to say you cannot do something. You have a very important reason. This helps you say "no" politely.

More formal alternatives(6)

〜わけがない

This means 'there is no way that...' or 'it's impossible that...'. You use it when you are sure something cannot be true.

〜はずがない

This means you are sure something is not true. You have a good reason to believe it is impossible.

〜っこない

This means 'no way' or 'impossible'. You use it when you strongly believe something cannot happen.

〜ようがない

You cannot do something. There is no way to do it. You have no method or chance.

〜わけにはいかない

You cannot do something. This is because of rules or what people expect. You might want to do it, but you just can't.

〜どころか

Far from A, on the contrary B. Used to strongly deny the first statement (A) and present a contrasting reality (B) that is often more extreme or the opposite of what was expected.

辞書形

This is the basic form of a verb. It is what you find in a dictionary. You use it to make other verb forms.

〜だ / 〜だった

This means 'is' or 'was'. It is the casual way to say 〜です and 〜でした.

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Dictionary

〜どころではない

This means you cannot do something. It is not the right time or place. Something else is more important right now.

N2 KMT5FormalStandardAdverbial ConstructionMixedStrong Negation Or ImpossibilityGrammar

Noun + どころではないPrimary

Verb [dictionary form] + どころではないPrimary

Noun + どころじゃない

Verb [dictionary form] + どころじゃない

This means you cannot do something. It is not the right time or place. Something else is more important right now.

仕事が山積みで、夏休みどころではないんです。

I'm swamped with work, so a summer vacation is completely out of the question.

PoliteNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeWork & Career Daily Life

高熱が続いて、食事どころではなかった。

With a continuing high fever, I was in no condition to eat.

NeutralPastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeMedicine & Health

ごめん、明日の試験のことで頭がいっぱいで、映画を楽しむどころじゃないんだ。

Sorry, my head is full of tomorrow's exam, so I'm in no state to enjoy a movie.

CasualNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeEducation Music & Entertainment

こんなにうるさいと、勉強どころではなくて集中できない。

When it's this noisy, it's not a situation for studying, and I can't concentrate.

NeutralNon PastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeEducation Daily Life

プロジェクトが炎上し、新しい提案を検討するどころではございません。

The project is on fire; we are in no position whatsoever to consider new proposals.

FormalNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeWork & Career Business & Finance

This phrase shows you are too busy for something. It means something else is much more important. It is like saying, "I can't even think about that now."

Don't use this when you simply can't do something. For example, don't say "I can't play the piano" with this phrase. This phrase is for when something else is more important.

Use this when you want to say you cannot do something. You have a very important reason. This helps you say "no" politely.

More formal alternatives(6)

〜わけがない

This means 'there is no way that...' or 'it's impossible that...'. You use it when you are sure something cannot be true.

〜はずがない

This means you are sure something is not true. You have a good reason to believe it is impossible.

〜っこない

This means 'no way' or 'impossible'. You use it when you strongly believe something cannot happen.

〜ようがない

You cannot do something. There is no way to do it. You have no method or chance.

〜わけにはいかない

You cannot do something. This is because of rules or what people expect. You might want to do it, but you just can't.

〜どころか

Far from A, on the contrary B. Used to strongly deny the first statement (A) and present a contrasting reality (B) that is often more extreme or the opposite of what was expected.

辞書形

This is the basic form of a verb. It is what you find in a dictionary. You use it to make other verb forms.

〜だ / 〜だった

This means 'is' or 'was'. It is the casual way to say 〜です and 〜でした.

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〜どころではない

Patterns4

Meaning

Examples5

Nuance1

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Discourse Function1

Compare with6

More formal alternatives(6)

Prerequisites2

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〜どころではない

Patterns4

Meaning

Examples5

Nuance1

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Discourse Function1

Compare with6

More formal alternatives(6)

Prerequisites2

Track your mastery