はおろか
“Let alone X; not to mention X.” It treats X as a case where the statement obviously holds, then adds a more extreme case Y where it holds as well. It is most common in negative statements about an unfortunate situation, but positive statements are also possible.
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
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A stiff expression found mainly in writing and formal speech. It most often describes a deplorable situation and conveys the speaker's surprise or dismay. It can also make neutral or positive statements, as in 国内はおろか海外でも販売している. Compared with はもちろん or はもとより, it puts stronger emphasis on how extreme the Y case is.
Do not normally end a はおろか sentence with a volitional, imperative, or request expression; use はもちろん or はもとより for those.
Learners sometimes reverse the order; the obvious case goes before はおろか and the more extreme, surprising case comes after it.
Note that the second clause normally marks the extreme item with a particle such as も, すら, さえ, or まで.
- 1.どころかN3「どころか」 is neutral in register, more common, and attaches directly to verbs and adjectives. It can also mean "far from... but on the contrary..." or express affirmative escalation—neither sense can be replaced by 「はおろか」; only the "let alone X, even Y..." sense is interchangeable.
- 2.はもとよりN2「はもとより」 is likewise a written-style expression, but it carries no nuance of surprise or dissatisfaction and is mostly used to stack items affirmatively ("A goes without saying, and B too..."). Positive situations should not take 「はおろか」—use 「はもとより」 instead.
- 3.はもちろんN3「はもちろん」 works for both positive and negative content, sounds natural, and is common in both speech and writing, while 「はおろか」 leans negative, sounds stiff, and leans toward written style. Positive content can only take 「はもちろん」; negative content is interchangeable only when the first item is demanding and the second more basic.
- 4.(で)すらN1「すら」 flags just one extreme example, meaning "even...", and works in both affirmative and negative sentences. 「はおろか」, which leans negative, must present X first and then a more basic Y; its second item often takes 「すら」, so the two are typically used together rather than interchangeably.
- 5.だにN1「だに」 stresses a single item, meaning "not even...", and appears mostly in fixed expressions like 「想像だにしない」; it can also attach to 「聞く」 or 「見る」 to mean "just ... is enough to make one ...". Because 「はおろか」 must juxtapose two items, the two cannot be interchanged.
どころか is more conversational and can also mean “far from X, on the contrary.” はもとより and はもちろん are neutral “not to mention” forms that freely take volitional and request endings. (で)すら and だに (the latter very literary) mark the extreme item Y itself, and すら often appears in the second clause of a はおろか sentence.
