それどころじゃない: The Ultimate "Swamped with Work" Phrase!

Have you ever been drowning in work, with a deadline breathing down your neck, when a carefree friend texts you, "Hey, wanna go camping this weekend?" 🏕️. In your head, you just want to scream, "Oh my god, I don't even have time to breathe!", but you don't know how to express it as 'correctly' and assertively as a Japanese person?

Forget phrases like 「忙しいから行けない」(I can't go because I'm busy). Today, we'll learn a much more advanced 'ultimate trick' to show that you have bigger worries and absolutely no mental space for other things: 「それどころじゃない」 (Sore dokoro ja nai).

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🤔 What does「それどころじゃない」mean?

Simply put, this phrase means: "This is not the time to..." or "I have more important/troublesome things to deal with."

It's not just about being "busy." It paints a clear picture: there's issue A (what you're being invited to do) and issue B (my real concern), and issue B is taking up 100% of my mental energy, so I have no time to worry about A!

🚀 How to use it correctly?

This is a super flexible 'weapon,' usable in many situations:

1. To firmly decline an invitation

This is the most common usage. When you're in a total mess, even the most attractive invitation becomes a nuisance.

Example: A:「来週、飲みに行かない？」(Wanna go for drinks next week?) B:「ごめん、来週は大事な試験があって、それどころじゃないんだ。」(Sorry, I have an important exam next week, I'm in no state of mind to go.) 🙇‍♂️

👉 Pro-tip: Compared to「試験があるから行けない」(I can't go because I have an exam), this phrase emphasizes your focus and pressure much more strongly.

2. To dismiss a minor issue when there's a bigger one

When you're facing a disaster, other small annoyances mean nothing.

Example: After getting a scolding from your boss, you're looking grim, and a colleague comes over: A:「あ、シャツにコーヒーこぼれてるよ。」(Ah, you spilled coffee on your shirt.) B: (Sighs)「もう、それどころじゃないよ…」 (Oh man, this is hardly the time to worry about that...) 😩

In this case, the coffee stain is real, but compared to the "storm" you just went through, it's not worth worrying about.

3. When you want to say "I have my own problems to deal with!"

It's also used to respond when someone asks for a favor or complains about something unrelated to your main problem.

Example: You're trying to fix a broken computer to submit a report. A:「部屋、ちょっと散らかってるね。片付けたら？」(The room's a bit messy, huh? Why not clean it up?) B:「今パソコンが壊れてて、それどころじゃないの！」(My computer is broken right now, I have no time for that!) 💻🔥

⚠️ A small note

「それどころじゃない」 has a fairly strong and definitive nuance. It can make the listener feel that you are really stressed and do not want to be bothered. Therefore, use it in appropriate situations, usually with friends, family, or close colleagues!

Next time life 'buries' you, just let out a sigh and say「それどころじゃない」. Guaranteed, any Japanese person who hears it will understand and sympathize immediately! 😉