更不用说 (let alone / not to mention)

• Pinyin: gèng bùyòng shuō
• Formation: 连 + A + 都 / 也 + Verb，更不用说 + B + 了
• Hanzi breakdown: 更 = single character meaning 'more/further'; 用 = single character meaning 'use'; 说 = 讠(speech) + 兑 (exchange)

Meaning

The pattern 更不用说 means 'not to mention' or 'let alone.' It is used to emphasize that if a lesser case is already true, the greater or more extreme case goes without saying.

Unlike 别说 which leads with the more extreme case, 更不用说 places the more extreme case at the end of the sentence. The typical structure is: 连 + A (lesser case) + 都/也 + Verb，更不用说 + B (greater case) + 了. The logic flows as: 'Even A is already the case — not to mention B.' This makes 更不用说 feel more like a natural conclusion or afterthought, building from a stated fact toward an even stronger implication. It is slightly more formal than 别说 and is common in essays, speeches, and persuasive arguments. The variant 更别说 is also widely used and carries the same meaning in a slightly more colloquial tone.

Examples

1. 连本地人都经常迷路，更不用说外地游客了。 Even locals often get lost here, let alone tourists from out of town.
2. 他连基本的语法都没掌握，更不用说写学术论文了。 He hasn't even mastered basic grammar, let alone writing academic papers.
3. 这道菜连大人都觉得辣，更不用说小孩子了。 Even adults find this dish spicy, not to mention children.

Usage Guide

Context: written, spoken, persuasive

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 连老师都答不上来的问题，更不用说学生了。
• 她连周末都在加班，更不用说工作日了。
• 这个软件连程序员用起来都费劲，更不用说普通用户了。

Don't Say

• 更不用说他也去了。(更不用说 must follow a preceding clause that establishes the lesser case — it cannot start a sentence without context) → 连她都去了，更不用说他了。
• 连他都去了，更不用说我没去。(The second clause after 更不用说 should present a stronger case in the same direction, not a contradictory statement) → 连他都去了，更不用说我了。

Origin & History

更不用说 literally translates to 'even more no need to say,' combining the comparative 更 (even more) with 不用说 (no need to say). It evolved as a formal rhetorical connector in written Chinese argumentation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal