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

(Created page with "何况 (hékuàng) can mean "let alone" or "all the more". It can be used in the following structure: <div class="jiegou"> Subject + 连 + A + 都 + Verb, 何况 + B + 呢? </...")
 
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For example:
 
For example:
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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, let alone 10000)
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* 我 <em>连</em> 一千 块钱 的 工资 <em>都</em> 赚 不 了,<em>何况</em> 一万 <em>呢</em>?(I can't even earn 1000 a month, let alone 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?)
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* 小孩儿 <em></em> 说话 <em></em> 会,<em>何况</em> 背诵 诗歌 <em>呢</em>?(The baby can't even speak, and you're thinking he could recite poetry?)
你连这么简单的考试都通过不会,何况那么难的呢? (You couldn't even pass a test that easy, don't even think about a harder one)
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* 你 <em>连</em> 这么 简单 的 试题 <em>都</em> 不 会,<em>何况</em> 那么 难 的 <em>呢</em>? (You couldn't even pass a test that easy, don't even think about a harder one)
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
In these sentences, as it A is so hard, B would almost be impossible.
 
  
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In these sentences, as A is so hard, B would almost be impossible.
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 +
This structure can be directly reversed to mean the opposite; that is, A is harder than B.
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For example:
  
This structure can be directly reversed to mean the opposite; that is, A is harder than B
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 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?)  
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* 我 <em></em> 一万 块 钱 的 工资 <em></em> 赚 得 了,<em>何况</em> 一千 <em>呢</em>?(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?)
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* 小孩儿 <em></em> 诗歌 <em></em> 背诵,<em>何况</em> 说话 <em>呢</em>?(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)
* 你 连 那么 难 的 考试 能 及格,何况 这么 容易 的 呢?(After passing a test like that, you could easily pass this one     
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* 你 <em></em> 那么 难 的 试题 <em></em> 不 会,<em>何况</em> 这么 容易 的 <em>呢</em>?(After passing a test like that, you could easily pass this one     
 
</div>
 
</div>
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In these sentences, as A is so easy, then B must be even easier
 
In these 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.
 
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.
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 他 尚且 不 会 说话,更 何况 朗诵 诗歌。
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* 他 尚且 不 会 说话,更 <em>何况</em> 朗诵 诗歌。
* 本地经常会迷路的,何况陌生人!
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* 本地人 经常 会 迷路 的,<em>何况</em> 陌生人!
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Revision as of 03:25, 4 November 2011

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 to emphasize that A is easier than B


For example:

  • 一千 块钱 的 工资 赚 不 了,何况 一万 ?(I can't even earn 1000 a month, let alone 10000)
  • 小孩儿 说话 不 会,何况 背诵 诗歌 ?(The baby can't even speak, and you're thinking he could recite poetry?)
  • 这么 简单 的 试题 不 会,何况 那么 难 的 ? (You couldn't even pass a test that easy, don't even think about a harder one)

In these sentences, 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:

  • 一万 块 钱 的 工资 赚 得 了,何况 一千 ?(I'm earning 10000 a month, and you're saying I couldn't even earn 1000?)
  • 小孩儿 诗歌 会 背诵,何况 说话 ?(The child can even recite poetry, how could he not be able to speak?)
  • 那么 难 的 试题 不 会,何况 这么 容易 的 ?(After passing a test like that, you could easily pass this one

In these 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.

  • 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!


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.



As we can see, the first phrase often uses 尚且