Korean grammar · Level 4 · 4급
-기는커녕 · N은/는커녕
Far from …, let alone … (the opposite, or not even the smaller thing)
Taught in Level 4, Unit 9: Words and proverbs
'not even' (조차) has a partner. When you complain that something did not just fail but went the opposite way — 'far from resting, I worked' — Korean says 커녕, and it is the natural companion of the 'even' particles you have just learnt.
Example
아침을 먹기는커녕 물 한 잔도 못 마셨어요.
Far from eating breakfast, I couldn't even drink a glass of water.
The full explanation is in the unit · part of the Level 4 Pass, opening soon · Level 4, Unit 9
Words and proverbs
The rule with a table, Sori’s tips, practice that checks itself, a review room and a one-page cheat sheet.
See the unit preview →