Decoded Slug: 何况 (hékuàng) - Let alone, much less
Mandarin Grammar Point
何况 (hékuàng) - Let alone, much less
何况 (hékuàng) - Let alone, much less
Short explanation:
'何况' is used to mention something more extreme or unlikely after stating a lesser fact or condition.
Formation:
Lesser Condition + 何况 + More Extreme or Unlikely Condition
Examples:
他连最基础的问题都回答不出来，何况更复杂的问题。
Tā lián zuì jīchǔ de wèntí dōu huídá bù chūlái, hékuàng gèng fùzá de wèntí.
He can't even answer the most basic questions, let alone more complex ones.
我不会说法语，何况写法语。
Wǒ bù huì shuō Fǎyǔ, hékuàng xiě Fǎyǔ.
I can't speak French, much less write it.
他甚至没时间看电视，何况看一本长篇小说。
Tā shènzhì méi shíjiān kàn diànshì, hékuàng kàn yī běn chángpiān xiǎoshuō.
He doesn't even have time to watch TV, let alone read a long novel.
我连煎蛋都不会，何况煮一顿大餐。
Wǒ lián jiān dàn dōu bù huì, hékuàng zhǔ yī dùn dàcān.
I can't even fry an egg, much less cook a full meal.
Long explanation:
The Mandarin Chinese phrase '何况 (hékuàng)' functions as a conjunction similar to 'let alone' or 'much less' in English. It is used when you want to express that if a simple or lesser thing is not or can't be done, then it's even more unlikely that a more extreme or greater thing can be done. It typically follows a statement about a lesser action or condition, then introduces a statement about a more extreme or less likely action or condition.
