connective N1 uncommon writtenliterary
はおろか — let alone
はおろか
Meaning
- let alone ~ / not to mention ~ / to say nothing of ~ — 'not just A, but not even B', where B is the more basic case
Key sentence
彼は漢字はおろか、ひらがなも書けない。
He can't even write hiragana, let alone kanji.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + はおろか + N + も / さえ / すら（＋ usually negative predicate） | 電気はおろか水道さえ〜ない |
When: Written/literary; emphatic, and almost always carries a negative or regrettable consequence.
Examples
入院中は、歩くことはおろか、起き上がることもできなかった。
While hospitalized, I couldn't even sit up, let alone walk.
その村には電気はおろか、水道さえ通っていない。
That village doesn't even have running water, to say nothing of electricity.
When you can't use it
- The clause is almost always negative — はおろか sets up 'not even the basic B'; the second noun takes an emphatic particle (も / さえ / すら).
Easily confused with
See はおろか in real sentences
Jengo shows はおろか the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in Jengo