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:

我连一千块钱都没有，何况一万呢？(I don't even have 1000 yuan, and you reckon I have 10000?)
小孩儿连走路都不会，何况跑呢？(The baby can't even stand, and you're thinking he can already walk?)
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:

我连一万块钱都有，何况一千呢？(I'm earning 10000 a month, and you're saying I couldn't even earn 1000?)
小孩儿连跑都会，何况走路呢？(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)
你连那么难的试题都会，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:

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

{{Similar|"Let Alone" with "geng buyong shuo"]}