GRAMMAR DETAIL
どころか
Rejects an expected state and presents an even more contrary or extreme fact afterward.
Examples
彼は謝るどころか、責任を他人に押しつけた。
Far from apologizing, he shifted the blame onto someone else.
Words used
彼は助けるどころか、何もしなかった。
Far from helping, he did nothing.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
どころかoverturns an expectation and presents an actual situation that is contrary to it or more extreme. - Basic usage:
彼は謝るどころか、責任を他人に押しつけた。contrasts an expected apology with actually shifting blame to others.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- The expected action versus what happened
- In
謝るどころか責任を押しつけた,謝るis the expected action and shifting blame is what happened.謝ってから責任を押しつけたreports doing both in sequence, so the occurrence of the events differs.
- In
- Expanding beyond an expected amount
一人どころか三人も来たexpands the number from one to as many as three. Besides reversing a preceding expectation, the expression can greatly exceed its expected scale.