connective N1 uncommon writtenliterary
まして（や） — let alone
まして（や）
Meaning
- let alone / much more (so) / still more — given that even the easier or stronger case holds, the more extreme case holds all the more
Key sentence
大人でも難しい問題だ。ましてや子どもには解けない。
It's a hard problem even for adults. Let alone children — they can't solve it.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial connective | （先行文）。まして / ましてや 〜（なおさら / ない） | ましてや初心者には〜 |
When: Literary/written or emphatic speech; sets up an a-fortiori ('all the more so') inference.
Examples
プロでも失敗する。ましてや初心者なら無理もない。
Even pros mess up. So it's no wonder a beginner would, all the more.
平日でも混むのに、ましてや連休は大変な人出だ。
It's crowded even on weekdays — let alone over a long weekend, the crowds are enormous.
When you can't use it
- Needs a preceding baseline statement to escalate *from* — it builds on an established case and cannot open a passage cold.
Easily confused with
〜はおろか はおろか attaches two nouns inside one clause (AはおろかBも); ましてや is a sentence connective bridging two separate clauses. なおさら なおさら is the degree adverb 'all the more' in the consequent; ましてや often *introduces* the clause that なおさら completes (ましてや〜なおさらだ). 〜どころか どころか reverses or contradicts an expectation; ましてや escalates in the *same* direction (a-fortiori), with no contradiction.
See まして（や） in real sentences
Jengo shows まして（や） the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.