Expressing "let alone" with "hekuang"

何况 (hékuàng) can mean "let alone" or "all the more". It can be used in the following structure:

Subject + 连 + A + 都 + Verb, 何况 + B + 呢？

呢 often appears at the end of this structure, to form a rhetorical question.

何况 can be used in two ways, the first of which where 何况 is used to emphasize that A is easier than B.

For example:

• 我 连 一千 块钱 的 工资 都 赚 不 了，何况 一万 呢？(I can't even earn 1000 a month, and you saying I could earn 10000?)
• 小孩儿 连 说话 都 不 会，何况 背诵 诗歌 呢？(The baby can't even speak, and you're thinking he could recite poetry?)
• 你 连 这么 简单 的 试题 都 不 会，何况 那么 难 的 呢？ (You couldn't answer a question that easy, and you're kidding yourself you could answer one that hard?)

In the above examples: as A is so hard, B would almost be impossible.

This structure can be directly reversed to mean the opposite; that is, A is harder than B. For example:

• 我 连 一万 块 钱 的 工资 都 赚 得 了，何况 一千 呢？(I'm earning 10000 a month, and you're saying I couldn't even earn 1000?)
• 小孩儿 连 诗歌 都 会 背诵，何况 说话 呢？(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)
• 你 连 那么 难 的 试题 都 不 会，何况 这么 容易 的 呢？(You can answer questions that hard, how could something like this be hard for you?)

In the above sentences, as A is so easy, then B must be even easier.

何况 doesn't necessarily have to be used with the 连...都... structure, and can be used as a simple statement instead of a rhetorical question.

Some examples:

• 他 尚且 不 会 说话，更 何况 朗诵 诗歌。
• 本地人 经常 会 迷路 的，何况 陌生人！
• 这个 地方 本来 不好找，何况 你 也 是 第一 次 来 的！

何况 is often used with 尚且, a formal way of saying 还. 更 can be added to 何况 to add further emphasis.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) pp. 278-279