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 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 even pass a test that easy, and you're kidding yourself you could pass 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？(After passing a test like that, how could you not pass this one?)

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.