どころではない[dokoro dewa nai]: it's not the right time/occasion・to be far better/worse

June 19, 2020

Sponsored Links

It is a phrase that has two meanings.
The first meaning is "it's not the right time/occasion". It is used to explain that you can't afford to do a certain thing because you are preoccupied with something else.
The second meaning is "to be far better/worse" in comparison to something else. It is used to emphasize the difference between two things which regards one of them being extremely better/worse compared to the other one.
“どころじゃない” is a spoken language.

I'm working so hard these days, I just don't have any time for romance.
仕事が忙しくて、恋愛どころではない。

Ken and Leo are deciding which college courses they should take.

Ken: I think I want to take the Japanese course. My brother took it last year and his Japanese is awesome now. I just can't explain it but he literally sounds like a native. What do you think?
日本語コースを取りたいな。去年お兄ちゃんが受講して、今すごい日本語が上手なんだ。何て言うか、ネイティブみたいなんだ。レオは？
Leo: Umm, my head hurts so much. I can't concentrate right now and I'm sorry but I haven't heard a single words you just said.
うーん、頭が痛くて、それどころじゃないよ。一言も聞き取れなかった。

Ken and Leo are talking about the temperature in their room.

Ken: Oh my God, like is the AC even on right now ?!
ちょっと、まだエアコンついているの？
Leo: Yes of course. It's like 20 degrees in this room
. うん、もちろん。20度だよ。
Ken: No way ! Just turn it up already, can't you see that I'm freezing here ?! I'm going to die!
えー!ちょっと(温度を)上げてよ。寒いどころじゃない。凍え死ぬよ。

Meg and Amy are choosing a hotel online for their trip.

Meg: Which hotel do you want us to stay at? How about ABC Hotel?
どこのホテルに泊まる？ABCホテルにする？
Amy: I know that it is reasonable, but I just can't get over the fact that they didn't even serve any breakfast last time. Umm, what about this one? It's so cheap compared to the rest ?
手ごろだけど、前回朝食が出なかったのが、引っ掛かる(or気に入らない)。んー、このホテルはどう？他と比べて、随分安いよね？
Meg: Let me take a look! Well of course it's cheap ! Don't you see that it doesn't offer any meals at all and it doesn't even have a shower. What's wrong with your eyes ?! It's far worse than the ABC.
ちょっと見せて！んー、安いね！朝食どころじゃない、一食も出ないよ。シャワーさえない。どこ見てるの?! ABCホテルどころじゃないよ。

1The difference between "せめて" and "少なくとも"

They have almost the same meaning, which is "at least". They can be interchangeable depending on the context. "せめて" is mainly used when you want ...

2なんか[nanka]: sort/kind of

It is slang derived from “何か(なにか)”. It has two meanings. The first is “such“ and it is used to emphasize the noun that is put ...

3なんて[nante]: such/what/how

There are two types of “なんて”. The first is derived from “などと”. It means “such“ and it is used to emphasize the noun that is ...

4とか[toka]: etc/things like that

It has two meanings. The first is “and/or/etc“ and it is used to mention similar items with something or to give examples. It is interchangeable ...

5だって[datte]: but/because, even, I head that

You have heard of “だって” many times. Do you know what exactly it means and how to use it? [datte] It is a spoken language ...

6The difference between "は" and "が"

The difference between the particles "は" and "が" depends on whether the subject or the predicate of a sentence is emphasized. "が" is used when ...

7The difference between "さえ" and "すら"

They have the same meaning which is "even." They are used when describing something by giving very unusual and surprising examples, but "すら" cannot be ...

8先延ばし[saki nobashi]: procrastination

It is a noun and it means "procrastination". It is used when you put off something that has to be done because it is unpleasant ...

9仕方がない [shikata ga nai] : it can’t be helped

It is a phrase and means “it can't be helped”. It is used when you can’t avoid something to happen or can’t find a way ...

10面倒くさい [mendou kusai] : it's a hassle

It is an adjective and means "it's such a hassle". It is used when you don’t feel like doing something or you feel that someone ...

11The difference between "から" and "ので"

They are a conjunctive particle and they have a similar meaning. They are interchangeable in many cases, but the nuance is different. "から" is used ...

12The difference between "はず" and "べき"

"はず" means "to be supposed to do" and it is used to emphasize an expectation that something will take place. You can use "思う" instead ...

13The difference between "なるべく" and "できるだけ"

They are adverbs that mean "as much as possible". They are used when describing situations in which you try to do something as much as ...