Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 34
Ryo starts
〜どころではない ・ 〜だけ ましだ ・ 〜なら まだしも ・ 〜より ほかない ・ 〜ては〜ては
In this lesson, you will learn to say there is no room for something with 〜どころではない, that at least one thing is better than nothing with 〜だけ ましだ, that one case would be acceptable but another is not with 〜なら まだしも, that there is nothing left to do but one thing with 〜より ほかない, and to describe a pair of actions repeated over and over with 〜ては〜ては. It is March, and Ryo finally starts job hunting.
By the end you will be able to say
就活で 忙しくて、アルバイトどころではない。I'm so busy job hunting that my part-time job is out of the question.
遅くても、始めた だけ ましだ。It's late, but at least I've started.
少し 遅れるなら まだしも、まだ 何も して いない。Being a little late would be one thing, but I haven't done anything yet.
今は やるより ほかない。Right now there's nothing to do but do it.
書いては 消して、書いては 消して いる。I keep writing and erasing, over and over.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜どころではない — no time for; in no state for — A noun or a dictionary-form verb + どころではない says the situation leaves no room for it.
- 〜だけ ましだ — at least ...; better than nothing — A plain clause + だけ ましだ says that, bad as things are, this one point makes them better than they could be.
- 〜なら まだしも — X would be one thing, but ... — A なら まだしも B says the lighter case A could be accepted, but B, the real one, is too much.
- 〜ては〜ては — do ... and then ..., over and over — A て-form + は, followed by a second action, describes a pair of actions repeated again and again.
- 〜より ほかない — there's nothing to do but — A dictionary-form verb + より ほかない says there is no other way left.