JLPT N1

～はおろか

Let alone ~; Not to mention ~

Structure

Noun + はおろか

How it works

This expression indicates that something is so far from being true or possible that even a simpler or more basic thing related to it is also not true or possible. It sets up an extreme example to negate a lesser one.

Examples

彼女は英語はおろか、日本語も話せない。

She can't speak Japanese, let alone English.

Common mistakes

Confusing the order of difficulty; the item before はおろか is usually the *more advanced/difficult* one that is also impossible.

Tip

Visualize a scale: 'not even X is possible, much less Y (which is harder than X)'.

More JLPT N1 grammar

いかんによらずをもってをものともせずともなるとであれたりとも~ないに足る極まりない

See ～はおろか in real Japanese

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