〜はおろか: 'Let Alone / Not to Mention' (Meaning + Examples)
Naming the easy case that already fails
〜はおろか sets up a baseline that would normally be trivial, then shows even that fails — which makes the harder case (Y) obviously impossible too. The sentence must end negatively.
やったんは漢字はおろか、ひらがなさえ読めない。
やったんは かんじは おろか、ひらがなさえ よめない。
Yattan can't even read hiragana, let alone kanji.
ひらがな is the 'easier' skill; even that fails, so 漢字 is hopeless.
忙しくて、休暇はおろか週末の休みも取れない。
いそがしくて、きゅうかは おろか しゅうまつの やすみも とれない。
I'm so busy I can't even take weekends off, let alone a vacation.
モチは走ることはおろか、立つこともままならない。
モチは はしることは おろか、たつこともままならない。
Mochi can't even manage to stand, let alone run.
立つ (stand) is the trivial baseline; 走る (run) is the harder skill it implies is impossible.
What it attaches to
〜はおろか follows a noun or a verb nominalized with こと, and the clause it appears in must end negatively (〜ない, 〜さえ〜ない, ままならない, etc.).
| Precedes | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun はおろか、〜も／さえ〜ない | 休暇はおろか、休みも取れない |
| Verb + こと | 〜ことはおろか、〜も〜ない | 歩くことはおろか、立つこともできない |
彼は日本語はおろか、母国語もろくに話せない。
かれは にほんごは おろか、ぼこくごも ろくに はなせない。
He can barely speak his native language, let alone Japanese.
Don't confuse with 〜はもとより
〜はおろか and 〜はもとより share the "X, and even more so Y" shape, but they're polar opposites in tone. 〜はもとより pairs with an affirmative predicate to add an impressive extra ("X is true, and Y is true too"). 〜はおろか pairs with a negative predicate to pile on failure ("not even X, let alone Y"). Check whether the sentence ends positively or negatively to tell them apart.
The short version
- 〜はおろか = "let alone X" / "not to mention X" (with a negative ending).
- Attaches to: a noun or 〜ことはおろか, always followed by a negative predicate.
- Nuance/register: emphatic, slightly literary; common in writing and formal speech.
- Don't confuse with: 〜はもとより (same shape, but positive/affirmative).
Practice it
Choose はおろか where an easy case already fails, making a harder case impossible too.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
彼は漢字＿＿＿、ひらがなさえ読めない。
Where 〜はおろか fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜どころか · N3 — 〜どころか flips an expectation on its head: 'far from X, the opposite happened' or 'let alone X.' Learn both senses, how it attaches, and the common direction-of-contrast mistake.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜を踏まえて — 〜を踏まえて means 'based on X' or 'taking X into account' — it introduces prior facts, results, or experience as the grounded foundation for a decision or action that follows, common in reports and formal discussion.
- 〜を経て — 〜を経て means 'through X' or 'after passing through X' — it marks a process, place, or period of time that was passed through before reaching a final result, often used for long journeys, careers, or lengthy processes.
- 〜を限りに — 〜を限りに marks a point in time as the last one — 'as of X, this ends.' Common in retirement announcements and store closures, it attaches to a noun and always signals a final cutoff, not a new beginning.
- 〜を兼ねて — 〜を兼ねて means doing one thing that also serves a second purpose: 散歩を兼ねて買い物に行く ('go shopping, which doubles as a walk'). Learn the noun+を兼ねて pattern, the 〜を兼ねる verb form, and how the main action and the side purpose line up.
- 〜を皮切りに — 〜を皮切りに means 'starting with X' — the first in a string of similar events that follow, like a tour's opening city. It attaches to a noun and always implies more of the same are coming.
- 〜を機に — 〜を機に means 'taking X as the occasion' — a formal way to say someone used an event as the opportunity to make a decisive change. It attaches to a noun and often carries a positive, deliberate nuance.