尚且...何况(shàngqiě...hékuàng)
Even...Let Alone (Stronger)
Structure Pattern
Explanation
尚且...何况 (shàngqiě...hékuàng) is a literary intensification of 何况. It means "even A still/already [does X], let alone B." The 尚且 makes the first clause more emphatic — if even A (the easier/stronger case) struggles, then B (the harder/weaker case) obviously will too.
Example Sentences
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Zhuānjiā shàngqiě zuò bú dào, hékuàng pǔtōng rén.
Even experts can't do it, let alone ordinary people.
Dàrén shàngqiě shòu bù liǎo, hékuàng xiǎo háizi.
Even adults can't handle it, let alone children.
Mǔyǔ zhě shàngqiě juéde nán, hékuàng wàiguó rén.
Even native speakers find it difficult, let alone foreigners.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
苹果尚且好吃，何况香蕉。
Correct Usage
专家尚且做不到，何况普通人。
尚且...何况 requires a clear logical scale from lesser to greater. "Apples taste good, let alone bananas" has no logical progression — there's no inherent relationship between the two fruits that creates an a fortiori argument.
Related Grammar Points
Let Alone / Much Less
hékuàng
何况 (hékuàng) means "let alone" or "much less / much more so." If even the easier case A is true, then the harder case B is obviously also true. It's used in a fortiori arguments — reasoning from the lesser to the greater (or vice versa).
Even (Emphasis)
lián...dōu/yě
连...都 or 连...也 (lián...dōu/yě) means "even" and emphasizes something surprising or extreme. Place the most unexpected element between 连 and 都/也 to highlight how remarkable it is.
Master 尚且...何况
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