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.
2.
still more; even more so
Used to emphasize that something applies even more strongly to what follows.
It's crowded even on nice days. All the more so during holiday periods, it's terribly packed.
I'm busy even normally, and even more so at year's end — I don't have time to rest.
Forms
- ましてや - emphatic form (let alone, much less)
ましてや is more emphatic and commonly used in modern speech.
Common patterns
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 collocations
Usage
- 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 words
- 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.