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Unit 15: Let Alone, Far From (-기는커녕)

When you want to say "Let alone doing A, I couldn't even do B," you use -기는커녕 (for verbs) or -은/는커녕 (for nouns). This expresses that the first thing is completely out of the question, and even a much simpler thing didn't happen.

Structure

  1. Verbs: Verb Stem + -기는커녕
  2. 밥을 먹다 -> 밥을 먹기는커녕 (Far from eating a meal...)
  3. Nouns: Noun + -은/는커녕
  4. 밥 -> 밥은커녕 (Let alone a meal...)

Usage

The second clause must be negative (using 못, 안, or negative verbs like 없다) and usually includes "도" (even) or "조차" (even).

Examples

  • 밥을 먹기는커녕 물도 못 마셨어요. (Far from eating a meal, I couldn't even drink water.)
  • 상을 받기는커녕 혼이 났어요. (Far from getting an award, I was scolded.)
  • 해외여행은커녕 국내 여행도 못 가요. (Let alone overseas travel, I can't even travel domestically.)