▎何況, hékuàng, (Adv), let alone, no need to mention

 

Function The adverb 何況 states that if a previous statement is true, how about the next.

1 連膽子那麼大的人都怕，更何況我這個膽子小的人？

Lián dǎnzi nàme dà de rén dōu pà, gèng hékuàng wǒ zhè ge dǎnzi xiǎo de rén?

Even people who have guts get afraid, let alone someone as timid as me.

2 你那麼年輕都走不動了，更何況我這個銀髮族？

Nǐ nàme niánqīng dōu zǒubúdòng le, gèng hékuàng wǒ zhè ge yínfǎzú?

Even someone as young as you can’t keep walking, never mind someone with grey hair like me.

3 光布置一個小房間就花了那麼多時間，何況布置那麼大的客廳呢？

Guāng bùzhì yí ge xiǎo fángjiān jiù huāle nàme duō shíjiān, hékuàng bùzhì nàme dà de kètīng ne?

Decorating even a small room takes lots of time, never mind a big living room.

4 在現實生活中，他們都會批評你，何況在網路的世界裡呢？

Zài xiànshí shēnghuó zhōng, tāmen dōu huì pīpíng nǐ, hékuàng zài wǎnglù de shìjiè lǐ ne?

Even in real life they’ll criticize you, let alone on the internet.

5 再大的困難我們都可以解決，更何況這一點小事？

Zài dà de kùnnán wǒmen dōu kěyǐ jiějué, gèng hékuàng zhè yìdiǎn xiǎo shì?

We could easily tackle a bigger problem yet, let alone this trivial one.

 

Usage

(1) 更 is often placed in front of 何況, see (1, 2 and 5) above.

(2) 何況 often follows a 連 A 都 B pattern (even that is true) in the initial sentence, e.g.,

1 連那些藝術家都看不懂，更何況我呢？

Lián nàxiē yìshùjiā dōu kànbùdǒng, gèng hékuàng wǒ ne?

Even those artists don’t understand, never mind me.

2 連你學了十年的小提琴都不敢表演了，更何況我才學了一年？

Lián nǐ xuéle shí nián de xiǎotíqín dōu bù gǎn biǎoyǎn le, gèng hékuàng wǒ cái xuéle yì nián?

Even somebody like you who has studied violin for ten years can’t bring yourself to perform, how could somebody like me do it, who has only studied for one year?

3 連我都覺得穿這種衣服不足為奇，更何況你這種追求流行的人？

Lián wǒ doū juéde chuān zhè zhǒng yīfú bùzú wéiqí, gèng hékuàng nǐ zhè zhǒng zhuīqiú liúxíng de rén?

Even I think nothing of wearing clothing like this, never mind somebody like you who is really into fashion.