Difference between revisions of "Expressing "let alone" with "hekuang""

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* 我 <em>连</em> 一万块钱<em>都</em> 有,<em>何况</em> 一千 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(I'm earning 10000 a month, and you're saying I couldn't even earn 1000?)</span>  
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* 我 <em>连</em> 一万块钱<em>都</em> 有,<em>何况</em> 一千 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(I'm have 10000 yuan, and you're saying I don't even have 1000?)</span>  
 
* 小孩儿 <em>连</em> 跑 <em>都</em> 会,<em>何况</em> 走路 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)</span>
 
* 小孩儿 <em>连</em> 跑 <em>都</em> 会,<em>何况</em> 走路 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)</span>
 
* 你 <em>连</em> 那么 难 的 试题 <em>都</em>  会,<em>何况</em> 这么 容易 的 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(You can answer questions that hard, how could something like this be hard for you?)</span>     
 
* 你 <em>连</em> 那么 难 的 试题 <em>都</em>  会,<em>何况</em> 这么 容易 的 <em>呢</em>?<span class="expl">(You can answer questions that hard, how could something like this be hard for you?)</span>     

Revision as of 01:46, 18 October 2012

Chinese-grammar-wiki-lian.jpg

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

何况 within a rhetorical question

Structure

Subject + 连 + A + 都 + (不/没) + 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.

Examples

  • 一万块钱 有,何况 一千 (I'm have 10000 yuan, and you're saying I don't even have 1000?)
  • 小孩儿 会,何况 走路 (The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)
  • 那么 难 的 试题 会,何况 这么 容易 的 (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. However if one adds a 不 or 没 before the verb then the meaning is reversed: now A is so hard, B would almost be impossible.

  • 一千 块钱 没有,何况 一万 (I don't even have 1000 yuan, and you reckon I have 10000?)
  • 小孩儿 走路 不 会,何况(The baby can't even stand, and you're thinking he can already walk?)
  • 这么 简单 的 试题 不 会,何况 那么 难 的 (You couldn't answer a question that easy, and you're kidding yourself you could answer one that hard?)

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.

何况 in a statement

Structure

Subject + (都)+ A, 何况 + B!

Examples

  • 本地人 都 经常 会 迷路 的,何况 外地人!
  • 这个 地方 本来 就 不好找,更何况 你 也 是 第一 次 来!

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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5