JLPT N2 • GENERAL

どころか

Far from being the president, he is merely an employee.

Practice Question

彼は社長 ___ 、ただの社員に過ぎない。
Explanation

彼は社長 ___ 、ただの社員に過ぎない。

English Explanation

The correct answer is 「どころか」. The N2 pattern 「〜どころか」 means "far from X, on the contrary, Y" or "not X at all, but rather Y." It strongly negates a prior assumption or expectation and presents a contrasting, often worse, reality. Here, it explicitly states he is not the president, but merely an employee. 「ばかりか」 and 「のみならず」 both mean "not only X, but also Y," implying addition, not negation or strong contrast. 「こそ」 is an emphatic particle meaning "precisely X," which does not fit the context of a strong denial.

日本語解説

正解は「どころか」。「〜どころか」は「〜ではなく、むしろそれとは全く異なる(あるいはもっと悪い)状況だ」という強い否定と対比を表すN2文法です。彼が社長だという推測を否定し、単なる社員であることを強調しています。「ばかりか」と「のみならず」は「〜だけでなく」と追加の情報を表し、「こそ」は強調で、いずれも文意に合いません。

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