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.
まして子供には無理だ。
Let alone children — it's impossible.
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できない。
I can't read Japanese, much less write it.
私でさえ分からないのに、ましてや初心者には難しすぎる。
Even I don't understand it, so it's much too difficult for beginners.
国内でも大変なのに、まして海外となると問題はさらに多くなる。
It's already tough domestically, and overseas the problems become even more numerous.
2.
still more; even more so
Used to emphasize that something applies even more strongly to what follows.
まして今はなおさらだ。
And even more so now.
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.
天気のいい日でも混んでいる。まして連休中は大変な混雑だ。
It's crowded even on nice days. All the more so during holiday periods, it's terribly packed.
普段でも忙しいのに、まして年末は休む暇もない。
I'm busy even normally, and even more so at year's end — I don't have time to rest.
経験者でも苦労するのに、まして未経験者ならなおさら時間がかかるだろう。
Even experienced people struggle with it, so it would take even longer for someone with no experience.
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.