JLPT N1 grammar
〜はおろか — Meaning & Examples
"Let alone X, not even Y" — a backward intensifier: the expected-easier thing turns out false too. 漢字はおろか、ひらがなも読めない.
〜はおろか — "Let Alone X, Not Even Y"
はおろか sets up an extreme comparison: not only is the bigger/harder thing X untrue, even the smaller/easier thing Y is also untrue (or vice versa, for positive claims).
Pattern: [noun] + はおろか、[even more extreme noun] + も／さえ
漢字はおろか、ひらがなも読めない。
= Far from kanji, he can't even read hiragana.
彼は英語はおろか、日本語もまともに話せない。
= Let alone English, he can't even speak proper Japanese.
入院中は歩くことはおろか、起き上がることもできなかった。
= While hospitalised, let alone walking, he couldn't even sit up.
Structure sense: はおろか names the "obviously easier/lesser" thing that you'd EXPECT to be true, then even THAT turns out to be false too. It intensifies by going backward — from expected to shockingly not-even-that.
Key feeling: "You'd think at least Y would be fine — nope, not even that."
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜はおろか. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「漢字はおろか、ひらがなも読めない。」 means?
- He can read both kanji and hiragana
- He can read kanji but not hiragana
- Hiragana is harder than kanji for him
- Far from kanji, he can't even read hiragana
Show answer
Answer: Far from kanji, he can't even read hiragana
はおろか = let alone X, not even Y — the "easier" expected thing (hiragana) turns out to be false too.
2. はおろか is best described as?
- A backward intensifier — names the expected-easier thing, then shows even THAT is false
- A forward intensifier (easy example, then harder one)
- A simple list marker
- A question particle
Show answer
Answer: A backward intensifier — names the expected-easier thing, then shows even THAT is false
はおろか works backward: it names something you'd expect to be true (the lesser claim), then shows even that fails.
Practise 〜はおろか in the free app
This point is part of the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜はおろか mean?
"Let alone X, not even Y" — a backward intensifier: the expected-easier thing turns out false too. 漢字はおろか、ひらがなも読めない.
Is 〜はおろか on the JLPT N1 test?
〜はおろか is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜はおろか?
Open the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.