What Does –은/는커녕 Mean? | Korean “Let Alone” Grammar Explained Simply

 

🌟 –은/는커녕 Grammar Guide


Expressing “not even…, let alone …” in Korean





1. ✨ Summary


–은/는커녕은
👉 앞의 일은 말할 필요도 없고, 그보다 더 기본적인 것조차 불가능했음을 강조하는 표현입니다.


– 은/는커녕 is used

👉 to emphasize that not only did the expected thing fail to happen, but even something easier or more basic did not happen.

➡️ 영어의 “let alone”, **“not even”**과 매우 비슷한 표현이에요 😊


2.  Core Meaning & Nuance


이 표현에는 항상 다음 구조가 숨어 있어요.

  • 앞의 내용(N1): 화자가 기대했거나 당연하다고 생각한 것

  • 뒤의 내용(N2): 그보다 더 쉽거나 기본적인 것

  • 👉 결과: N1은 말할 것도 없고, N2조차 안 됨

보통 실망, 불만, 부정적인 상황을 강하게 드러낼 때 사용합니다 😥


This expression always implies the following structure:

  • N1: something expected or assumed to be possible

  • N2: something easier or more basic

  • 👉 Result: If even N2 didn’t happen, N1 was impossible.

It strongly conveys disappointment, complaint, or a negative situation.


3. 🔍 Grammar Form



받침 O : -은커녕
받침 X :-는커녕

 

N1 + 은/는커녕 + N2

This structure highlights contrast and unmet expectations.


4.  Common Patterns


뒤 문장에는 부정 표현이 자주 옵니다.

  • 못 / –지 못하다

  • 안 / –지 않다

  • 힘들다, 어렵다, 귀찮다 등


The second clause usually contains negative expressions, such as:

  • cannot / could not

  • do not / did not

  • be difficult, hard, impossible



5.  📘  Examples

  
예습은커녕 숙제도 못했다.I couldn’t even do my homework, let alone prepare in advance.
밥은커녕 물도 못 마셨다.I couldn’t even drink water, let alone eat.
하와이는커녕 제주도도 가 본 적이 없다.I’ve never even been to Jeju Island, let alone Hawaii.
문제를 해결하기는커녕 오히려 키웠다.Instead of solving the problem, they actually made it worse.
여자 친구는커녕 친구도 별로 없다.I barely have friends, let alone a girlfriend.

👉 핵심 포인트: **뒤에 나오는 것이 더 “쉬운 것”**이에요!

Key point: The part that comes after is something easier or more basic.


6. 🔥 Emphasis with –도 / –조차


–도, –조차와 함께 자주 쓰여 강조 효과가 커집니다.


N1은커녕 N2도 / N2조차

Adding -도 or -조차 strengthens the meaning of “not even”.


Example

  • 손님은커녕 개미 한 마리도 안 보인다.
    → There isn’t even a single ant, let alone any customers 🐜



7.  🗣️ | When to Use It

  • ✔ 비격식적인 상황

  • ✔ 개인적인 감정 표현

  • ✔ 불만, 실망, 부정적인 현실 강조

  • ✔ Casual or spoken contexts

  • ✔ Expressing personal opinions

  • ✔ Complaints or negative situations

❗ 공식 문서나 매우 격식 있는 글에는 잘 쓰이지 않습니다.


8. ⚖️ Similar Expressions

① –은/는 고사하고

“~은 말할 것도 없고”라는 뜻으로, 의미는 비슷하지만 조금 더 문어적입니다.

Means “to say nothing of…” and sounds slightly more formal.

  • 샤워는 고사하고 세수도 못했다.
    → I couldn’t even wash my face, let alone take a shower.



② –은/는 물론이고 (⚠️ 반대 의미!  Positive meaning! )



 


맛은 물론이고 분위기도 좋다
The food is great, and the atmosphere is nice as well.


9. ⚠️  Cautions

  • 긍정적인 상황 ❌

  • 기대 → 좌절 구조가 없으면 어색함

  • 격식체 글에는 부적합

  • ❌ Not used in positive situations

  • Requires an expectation → failure contrast

  • Sounds awkward in very formal writing




Practice Exercise – Fill in the Blanks! ✏️😊


1. 시험에 합격(하다)_____________________, 점수조차 확인하지 못했다.

 

2. 너무 피곤해서 밥(먹다) _____________________, 물만 마시고 잠들었다.

 

3. 그 사람은 우리를 도와주다 _____________________, 오히려 우리에게 짐이 되었다.

 

4. 그는 천재 _____________________, 기본적인 상식도 부족해 보인다.

 

5. 돈을 벌기는커녕, _____________________

 

6. 여행은커녕, _____________________

 

8. 그가 약속을 지키기는커녕, _____________________

 

9. 비행기를 타기는커녕 _____________________

 













Location: 대한민국 서울특별시

Popular posts from this blog

Why Do Koreans Care So Much About Age?

Image
  Why Do Koreans Care So Much About Age? 왜 한국인들은 나이를 그렇게 중요하게 여길까? In Korean culture, age is not just a number. It functions as a key reference point for choosing language, defining social roles, and managing psychological distance. Knowing someone’s age helps Koreans decide how to speak, how to behave, and how close they are allowed to be. 한국 문화에서 나이는 단순한 숫자가 아닙니다. 나이는 언어 선택 , 사회적 역할 , 심리적 거리 를 결정하는 핵심 기준이에요. 1. Age as a Social Coordinate, Not Personal Information When Koreans ask about age early in a conversation, it is not driven by personal curiosity. They are trying to identify the correct social and linguistic framework before continuing the interaction. 한국에서 처음 만났을 때 나이를 묻는 것은 사적인 관심이 아니라 대화의 기준점을 설정하기 위한 과정 입니다. Examples “혹시 몇 년생이세요?”   “What year were you born?” “나이가 어떻게 되세요?”   “May I ask how old you are?" ✔️ These questions are used to determine relative age. Once age is known, the speaker can decide whether to use honorifics, ca...
Read more

What does '-느라고' mean?

Image
  Grammar Point: -느라고 1) Core Meaning (핵심 의미) “-느라고” expresses that the action in the first clause is the reason or cause for the negative or undesirable result in the second clause. It roughly means: 👉 “because I was doing ~, (something bad happened)” 👉 indicates an ongoing action that prevented another action. 예문 아침에 급하게 나오느라고 휴대폰을 집에 놓고 왔어. 설거지하느라고 전화 온 줄 몰랐어. 2) Same Subject Required (주어 동일해야 함) Both clauses must share the same subject . The second clause usually omits the subject because it's clear. 예문 (O) 아침을 먹느라고 늦었어. 예문 (X) 아침을 먹느라고 엄마가 화를 냈어. → 주어 다름 3) No Past (-었-) or Future (-겠-) Tense in the -느라고 Clause The verb before -느라고 must describe an ongoing action . So you cannot add past or future markers. 예문 (O) 이사 준비하느라고 정신이 없어요. 예문 (X) 이사 준비했느라고… 이사 준비하겠느라고… 4) Used with Durative Actions (지속 동사와 사용) -느라고 works with actions that take time . It sounds unnatural with instantaneous actions or verbs showing a completed re...
Read more

How Do Koreans Address Elders?

Image
  How Do Koreans Address Elders? 한국인은 어른을 어떻게 부를까? In Korea, you don’t call elders by their first name. You call them by relationship, title, or social role. This is not optional politeness — it’s a cultural rule. Respect is shown through language structure itself . 1. Why Is Addressing Elders So Important in Korea? Korean culture developed under strong Confucian hierarchy. Age determines social position in many interactions. Even a one-year age gap can change how people speak to each other. So the question is not “What is their name?” Instead, it is “What is my relationship to them?” 2. How Koreans Address Elders in the Family Within families, the relationship itself becomes the name. 할머니 (Grandmother)   → First names are never used. 할아버지 (Grandfather)   → Standard respectful term. 형 / 누나 (Older sibling for males)   → Must be used if the sibling is older. 오빠 / 언니 (Older sibling for females)   → Shows both closeness and hierarchy. Korean siblings rarely call ea...
Read more