modality N1 uncommon casualpolitewritten
〜どころの話ではない — it's not a matter of ~ / far from it
〜どころの話ではない ・ どころのはなしではない
Builds on 〜どころではない
Meaning
- it's not a matter of ~ / far from ~ — the situation is far too serious for the modest thing mentioned to even be on the table
Key sentence
忙しくて、旅行どころの話ではない。
I'm so busy that a trip is out of the question — far from it.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / Verb (dictionary form) | [N / Vる] + どころの話ではない | 勉強どころの話ではない |
When: Emphatic and often emotional; the named thing is dismissed as trivial against a far graver reality.
Examples
地震の直後で、お祭りどころの話ではなかった。
Right after the earthquake, a festival was the last thing on anyone's mind.
赤字続きで、ボーナスどころの話ではない。
With losses piling up, a bonus is completely out of the question.
Easily confused with
どころではない どころではない is the base form 'this is no time for ~'; どころの話ではない adds 話 for extra emphasis — 'it's not even a matter one can discuss', stronger and more exasperated. どころか どころか reverses to a stronger opposite ('far from A, in fact B'); どころの話ではない simply rules the named thing out as unthinkable given the circumstances.
See 〜どころの話ではない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜どころの話ではない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.