はおろか | Grammar

Structure

[noun A] + はおろか + [noun B] + も／さえ／すら + Predicate

Typically used with negative or positive predicates to express "let alone" / "not to mention"
Noun A = more expected/obvious item; Noun B = more extreme/surprising item

Description

はおろか is used to emphasize that something is true of an extreme case, so it goes without saying for a lesser or more expected case. It translates to "let alone," "not to mention," or "much less" in English.

The pattern typically highlights that even the easier or more basic thing is not possible (or is possible), so the harder or more advanced thing is certainly not possible (or is certainly possible too).

Structure

なうんNoun ああるA

はおろか + なうんNoun bB
- も／さえ／すら + Predicate

oun A represents something more expected or obvious, while Noun B represents something less expected or more extreme. The sentence then states what is true of Noun B, implying it is even more true of Noun A.

Negative sentences – "let alone"

The most common usage is in negative sentences, where even the easier thing cannot be done, let alone the harder thing.

、。

He can't even read hiragana, let alone kanji.

、。

I can't even afford to eat out, let alone travel.

Positive sentences – "not only… but also"

In positive sentences, はおろか expresses that not only the expected thing but even an unexpected or extreme thing is also true.

、。

He can speak not only English, but also French and Chinese.

Nuance

はおろか carries a strong rhetorical tone and is used in written language or formal speech. It emphasizes the gap between the two items being compared. The particle after Noun B is often も, さえ, or すら to further stress the extreme nature of the statement.

A related but softer expression is はもちろん ("of course… and also"), which lacks the strong emphatic or negative tone that はおろか often carries.

Examples

、。

He can't even write hiragana, let alone kanji.

、。

I don't even own a bicycle, let alone a car.

、。

I've never even been on a domestic trip, let alone an overseas trip.

、。

She hasn't even graduated from high school, let alone university.

、。

He can't even boil water, much less cook.

、、。

My salary is so low that paying rent is hard enough, let alone saving money.

、。

He speaks not only Japanese, but also Korean and Spanish fluently.

、。

This shop has lines not only on weekends, but even on weekdays.

、。

I haven't even met the department manager, let alone the company president.

、。

I didn't even have a thousand yen, let alone ten thousand.

、。

He won't even acknowledge his fault, let alone apologize.

、。

That company is highly regarded not only domestically, but also internationally.

References

はおろかBunpro