はおろか

Let alone, Much less, Needless to say, Not to mention, Not only but also

彼かれは料理りょうりはおろか、掃除そうじさえできない。

He can't even clean, let alone cook.

Explanation

「はおろか」 means 'A goes without saying, even the more basic B is not possible'. The usual form is 「AはおろかBも／さえ／まで」.

Examples: 「漢字はおろか平仮名さえ読めない」 (He can't read even hiragana, let alone kanji), 「家はおろか自転車も買えない」 (I can't buy even a bicycle, let alone a house).

A is the high standard and B is the bare minimum. It is mostly used for bad things, such as lack of ability or means.

The ending states a fact; it cannot be a request, invitation, command or will.

Mixed up with

「はおろか」: A is the high standard, B the minimum: 'if even B is not possible, A is out of the question'. It pairs with 「も／さえ／すら」 and normally not with commands.

「どころか」: 'far from A, it's actually the opposite, B', as in 「静かどころか大騒ぎだ」 (Far from quiet, it's an uproar). It works for negative, positive and surprising reversals.

Easily confused withないまでも・はおろか: the difference ›はともかく・はおろか・はさておき・はさておいて: the difference ›以前・どころではない・はおろか: the difference ›

Examples

私わたしはスーパーはおろか、コンビニさえもないど田舎いなかに住すんでいる。
I live in a very rural area where there isn't a convenience store, let alone a supermarket.
父ちちはパソコンはおろか、スマホさえも使つかうことができない。
My father can't use a smartphone, let alone a computer.
「ルームメイトはオムライスはおろか、おにぎりさえ作つくれない。」
'My roommate cannot even make onigiri, let alone omurice.'
掃除機そうじきをかけることはおろか、彼かれはゴミ拾ひろいさえしない。
Let alone turning on the vacuum cleaner, he won’t even pick up the trash.
パスタはおろかお米こめさえ食たべるのをやめたら、痩やせました。
When I stopped eating even rice, let alone pasta, I lost weight.
貴重品きちょうひんはおろか、身みにつけていた服ふくまで奪うばわれてしまった。
Not to mention my valuables, even the clothes off my back were stolen.
今月こんげつの生活せいかつはおろか、今日きょうでさえ生いきていけるか分わかりません。
Much less living this month, I am not really even sure if I can live today.
フランス語ごはおろか英語えいごも話はなせないのにフランスへ行いこうとしています。
He's planning to go to France even though he can't speak English, let alone French.
「最近さいきん、痔じが痛いたみ出だしたなぁ。座すわってるのはおろか、歩あるくのも痛いたいぞ。」
'Recently my hemorrhoids have been so painful. It even hurts to walk, much less sit.'
小説しょうせつ：「敵てきはおろか味方みかたからも恐おそれられ、『バーサーカー』と言いわれるようになった。」
Novel: 'Feared by his allies, let alone his enemies, he came to be called "the Berserker".'
彼かれは太ふとりすぎて、座すわっているときはおろか寝ねている時ときでさえ呼吸こきゅうが辛つらそうだ。
He is so overweight that, let alone when he is sitting, he struggles to breathe even when he is sleeping.
今いまや都会とかいの夜空よぞらには天あまの川がわはおろか、星ほしすら見みえなくなってしまった。
Nowadays even the stars have stopped being visible in the night sky of the city, much less the Milky Way.
彼かれはアクションアドベンチャーの有名ゆうめいな本ほんをシリーズで執筆しっぴつしたが、実じつは祖国そこくはおろか、故郷こきょうすら出でたことがないという。
It is said that although he wrote a famous action-adventure series, he has never left his hometown, let alone motherland.
日本語にほんごの文字もじと中国語ちゅうごくごの文字もじの区別くべつはおろか、ロシア語ごの文字もじとの区別くべつさえつかない人ひとも少すくなくない。
There are quite a few people who cannot tell the difference between Japanese characters and Russian characters, let alone Japanese Characters and Chinese characters.