Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“This is not the time/situation for doing [X].” or “There is no time/leeway for [X].”
🎯 Primary Function
To strongly express that a current action or state is inappropriate, irrelevant, or must be stopped immediately due to a greater, more urgent necessity.
📋 Grammar Structure
V-て形 + いる + 場合じゃない/ではない
Not applicable. Focuses on actions (verbs).
Not applicable. Focuses on actions (verbs).
V-ている + 場合じゃない/ではない
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used sparingly; ‘場合ではない’ is slightly more formal than ‘場合じゃない’. It is generally strong and direct, even in a formal context.
Informal Situations
Very common and natural, often used with a strong tone of voice to admonish or hurry someone.
Written Language
Appears in argumentative essays, news reports (quoting direct speech), or fiction to convey high tension or critical situations.
Spoken Language
Highly common, especially when expressing urgency, dissatisfaction, or a need for immediate change in action.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Urgency and Warning
Used to warn someone that the situation is critical and they should immediately stop a trivial or inappropriate action.
Example: 早く逃げろ！笑っている場合じゃない！
Self-Admonishment or Scolding Others
Used to scold oneself or others for engaging in an action that is unsuitable given the seriousness of the circumstances.
Example: こんな時にミスをするなんて、喜んでいる場合じゃない。
Highlighting Misplaced Focus
Used to emphasize that the current activity is a distraction from a more important and pressing task.
Example: 今は計画を立てる時だ。議論している場合じゃない。
Frequency
Common in strong, emphatic, and direct spoken Japanese.
Difficulty
JLPT N3 / N2 Intermediate to Advanced
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
締め切りは明日だ。ゲームをしている場合じゃない。
Furigana: しめきり は あした だ。ゲーム を している ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Shimekiri wa ashita da. Gēmu o shiteiru baai janai.
English: The deadline is tomorrow. This is no time to be playing games.
Example #2
火災報知器が鳴っている。携帯を探している場合じゃない。
Furigana: かさいほうちき が なっている。けいたい を さがしている ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Kasai hōchiki ga natteiru. Keitai o sagashiteiru baai janai.
English: The fire alarm is ringing! This is no time to be looking for your phone.
Example #3
お金を貯めなければならない。贅沢品を買っている場合じゃない。
Furigana: おかね を ためなければならない。ぜいたくひん を かっている ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Okane o tamenakereba naranai. Zeitakuhin o katteiru baai janai.
English: We must save money. This is no time to be buying luxuries.
Example #4
母が病気だ。私が遊んでいる場合じゃない。
Furigana: はは が びょうき だ。わたし が あそんでいる ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Haha ga byōki da. Watashi ga asondeiru baai janai.
English: My mother is sick. This is no time for me to be having fun (I shouldn’t be having fun).
Example #5
チームは負けている。仲間同士で喧嘩している場合じゃないだろう。
Furigana: チーム は まけている。なかまどうし で けんか している ばあい じゃない だろう。
Romaji: Chīmu wa maketeiru. Nakamadōshi de kenka shiteiru baai janai darō.
English: The team is losing. This is no time to be arguing amongst yourselves, is it?
Example #6
台風が来ている。外に立っている場合じゃないよ。
Furigana: たいふう が きている。そと に たっている ばあい じゃない よ。
Romaji: Taifū ga kiteiru. Soto ni tatteiru baai janai yo.
English: There is a typhoon approaching. This is no time to be standing outside.
Example #7
早く解決策が必要だ。細かいことを気にしている場合じゃない。
Furigana: はやく かいけつさく が ひつよう だ。こまかい こと を き にしている ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Hayaku kaiketsusaku ga hitsuyō da. Komakai koto o ki ni shiteiru baai janai.
English: We need a solution quickly. This is no time to be worrying about trivial details.
Example #8
Kuraianto ga matteiru. Ocha o nondeiru baai janai.
Furigana: クライアント が まっている。おちゃ を のんでいる ばあい じゃない。
Romaji:
English: The client is waiting. This is no time to be drinking tea casually.
Example #9
試験の復習が必要だ。寝ている場合じゃない。
Furigana: しけん の ふくしゅう が ひつよう だ。ねている ばあい じゃない。
Romaji: Shiken no fukushū ga hitsuyō da. Neteiru baai janai.
English: We must review for the exam. This is no time to be sleeping.
Example #10
急げ！遅れているぞ。休んでいる場合じゃない！
Furigana: いそげ！おくれて いる ぞ。やすんでいる ばあい じゃない！
Romaji: Isoge! Okurete iru zo. Yasundeiru baai janai!
English: Hurry up! We are already late! This is no time to be relaxing!
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Implies an Alternative Action
The pattern implicitly suggests a more important, often unspoken, action that should be taken instead. (Implied: “You should be doing homework.”)
Example: 遊んでいる場合じゃない、宿題をやりなさい。
Applies to States/Attitudes in Progress
While most common with V-ている, it can also follow a description of a state or attitude (e.g., のんびりしている – being leisurely).
Example: こんなに大変なのに、のんびりしている場合じゃない。
Strong Judgment of Appropriateness
The strength comes from emphasizing ‘場合’ (the circumstance/situation) over mere ‘時’ (time). It is a judgment on appropriateness.
Example: 冗談を言っている場合じゃない！ (Jōdan o itteiru baai janai!)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ この状況でゲームをするべきじゃない。
✅ V-るべきではない (V-ru beki dewa nai)
“V-るべきではない” means “should not V” based on morality or duty. “V-ている場合じゃない” means “should not be V-ing *right now* due to urgency.”
❌ ゲームをする場合じゃない。
✅ …ている場合じゃない
The pattern almost exclusively follows the V-ている form, indicating an action in progress or a state. Attaching it directly to the dictionary form (V-る) is grammatically incorrect.
❌ ゲームをしている時じゃない。
✅ …場合じゃない
While ‘時じゃない’ (toki janai) means ‘it’s not the time’, ‘場合じゃない’ carries a stronger nuance of “it’s not the appropriate *situation* or *circumstance*,” implying a more critical assessment of the action.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Direct and often impolite, as it usually involves scolding or urgent admonishment. Use ‘ではない’ for slightly higher politeness, but the phrase itself remains forceful.
Social Situations: Used in high-pressure environments, emergencies, parental scolding, or within tight-knit teams where urgency overrides politeness.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. The strength and tone might vary, but the grammar structure is universally understood.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜ている場合じゃない vs. 〜どころではない
どころではない (dokoro dewa nai) means “This is absolutely not the time/mood for X,” often implying that the speaker is too preoccupied or the situation is too serious to even consider X. 場合じゃない is a direct order/admonishment to stop X.
When to use: Use ‘どころではない’ when you are too overwhelmed or serious to think about X. Use ‘場合じゃない’ when you need to tell someone to stop their current activity due to urgency.
〜ている場合じゃない vs. 〜ていられない
〜ていられない (te irarenai) means “cannot afford to continue doing V” due to a lack of time or patience. 場合じゃない is a stronger statement of inappropriateness.
When to use: Use ‘〜ていられない’ when you personally feel you must move on quickly. Use ‘場合じゃない’ when scolding or emphasizing the situational urgency to others.
📝 Conjugation Notes
The pattern attaches directly to the continuous/state form of a verb (V-て + いる). The final part ‘じゃない’ is the informal negative form of ‘ではない’. ‘ではない’ is used for a slightly more formal tone.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce ‘ばあい’ (baai) with a slight elongation of the ‘a’ sound. The emphasis in speech usually falls on the V-ている part to highlight the inappropriate action.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of it as ‘Baai’ (Situation) + ‘Janai’ (Not). “The situation is NOT suited for this action (V-ている).” Visualize a critical moment where someone is doing something silly.
Other Grammar
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