～どころか (〜dokoro ka)
Explanation
Express 'far from', 'not just', 'not only', or 'to say nothing of'.
Formation
Verb-casual + どころか, い-Adjective + どころか, な-Adjective + どころか, Noun + どころか
Detailed Explanation
The ～どころか grammar point is used to emphasize that reality is far from what one might expect or that something is not only one way, but actually goes beyond it. It can be translated as 'far from', 'not just', or 'to say nothing of'.
Examples
彼は歌が上手どころか、プロの歌手みたいだ。
Kare wa uta ga jōzu dokoro ka, puro no kashu mitai da.
Far from just being good at singing, he sounds like a professional singer.
この料理はおいしいどころか、最高の味だ。
Kono ryōri wa oishii dokoro ka, saikō no aji da.
This dish is not just delicious, it’s absolutely the best.
彼女はただの友達どころか、私の親友だ。
Kanojo wa tada no tomodachi dokoro ka, watashi no shin’yū da.
She’s far from just a friend; she’s my best friend.
彼は英語ができるどころか、他の3つの言語も話せる。
Kare wa eigo ga dekiru dokoro ka, hoka no mittsu no gengo mo hanaseru.
Not only can he speak English, he also speaks three other languages.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.