どころか
Meanings
- Far from
- On the contrary
- Not only... but (also)
- If anything, ...
About this pattern
Explanation
どころか is used to express a strong contrast, often with the meaning 'not only... but also' or 'far from being the case'. It follows a statement that is opposite to what follows after どころか, emphasizing that the actual situation is completely different or more extreme than the prior expectation. It is common in everyday speech to challenge assumptions or former statements by presenting a surprising opposite. When attaching to a noun, verb, or adjective, the pattern remains the same: [X]どころか[Y], where X is a previous claim and Y is an unexpected reality.
Learn in context
Example sentences
This shop isn't cheap, quite the opposite—it’s expensive.
He's not just busy with work; on the contrary, he spends every day playing.
She can’t even speak English well; not to mention Japanese, she can hardly speak.
This room isn’t just small; on the contrary, it has no windows.
Keep studying
More N3 patterns
It would be good if you do X; You should do X; It's enough to do X
View detailsIt would be nice if ...; It would be good if ...; Should ...; I hope ...
View detailsduring; while; throughout; in the process of
View detailswhile; during; between; in the period of
View detailsDuring the period of / while; Before something changes or happens; Within the time when ... happens
View detailsbefore it happens; before doing something becomes true; before it ends/advances; before it’s no longer possible; while still in the state of not ...
View details