まして
まして
adverb, conjunction
let alone; much less; still more
1.
let alone; much less; to say nothing of
Used to indicate that if something is difficult or true for one situation, it is even more so for a more extreme situation. Often used with negative statements.
大人でも難しいのに、まして子供には無理だ。
It's difficult even for adults, let alone children.
日本語が読めない。まして書くことなど到底できない。
I can't read Japanese, much less write it.
2.
still more; even more so
Used to emphasize that something applies even more strongly to what follows.
親友ですら裏切ることがある。まして他人ならなおさらだ。
Even close friends can betray you. Still more so with strangers.
RELATED FORMS:
- ましてや - emphatic form (let alone, much less)
ましてや is more emphatic and commonly used in modern speech.
GRAMMAR PATTERN:
Typically appears in structure:
[A でも/すら X]、まして[B では/なら なおさら Y]
(Even A can't do X, let alone B can't do Y)
COMMON COMBINATIONS:
- まして〜なんて - let alone doing ~
- まして〜など - let alone ~ (and so on)
- まして〜ならなおさら - still more so if ~
USAGE NOTES:
- Often follows statements with でも, すら, さえ (even)
- Usually connects to negative or emphatic statements
- Written in hiragana; not typically written in kanji
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- いわんや - much less, not to mention (literary)
- なおさら - all the more
- もちろん - of course, needless to say
REGISTER:
Neutral to slightly formal. Common in both spoken and written Japanese.