Use どころか to set up an expectation and then reveal a contrasting or more striking reality.

The idea

Attach it directly to a verb in plain form, an い-adjective, a な-adjective stem, or a noun. AどころかB can mean “far from A, B” or “not only A but B too”; context determines the relationship.

Patterns to compare
FormExample
動詞どうし・普通形ふつうけい休やすむどころか
い形容詞けいようし安やすいどころか
な形容詞けいようし・名詞めいし簡単かんたんどころか / 英語えいごどころか

Examples

  • 休やすむどころか、週末しゅうまつも働はたらきました。Far from resting, I worked even on the weekend.
  • 簡単かんたんどころか、とても難むずかしかったです。Far from easy, it was very difficult.
  • 彼かれは英語えいごどころか、日本語にほんごも話はなせます。He can speak not only English but Japanese too.
  • 安やすいどころか、予算よさんよりずっと高たかかったです。Far from being cheap, it was much more expensive than the budget allowed.
  • 彼女かのじょは怒おこるどころか、笑わらって許ゆるしてくれました。Far from getting angry, she laughed and forgave me.
  • 一日いちにちどころか、一時間いちじかんも待まてません。I cannot wait even one hour, let alone a whole day.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not assume B always negates A: 英語どころか日本語も話せます includes both languages. With a negative B, 一日どころか一時間も待てません means not even an hour, let alone a day.

Try it yourself

  1. 休やすむ＿＿、週末しゅうまつも働はたらきました。

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    どころか

    どころか — It introduces the contrast between resting and working.

  2. 彼かれは英語えいごどころか、日本語にほんご＿＿話はなせます。

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    も

    も — It adds Japanese to English as another ability.

  3. 一日いちにちどころか、一時間いちじかんも待まて＿＿。

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    ません

    ません — The negative makes even one hour impossible, let alone a day.

Use it today

Describe a result that contradicted your expectation, then make a sentence with a surprising additional ability.