# 커녕 (-khenyeng)

## [ss Focus]

Also see: [Korean Focus Postpositions](http://flat.nert.georgetown.edu/ko/focus-postpositions/)

This postposition is used to mark the less likely or suitable item in a list of alternatives. This is equivalent to the "let alone" construction.

[gex 001 "{밥[p ko/커녕 Focus]||rice-let_alone} {죽도 porridge-not_even} {못 not} {먹는다 eat}" "Let alone rice, can't even eat/get porridge"]

[gex 002 "{비[p ko/커녕 Focus]||rain-let_alone} {구름조차 cloud-not_even} {끼지 clouded} {않는다 does_not}" "It does not get cloudy let alone rain."]

In some cases, the marked item is the expectation that the reality doesn't meet up to. 

[gex 003 "{상[p ko/커녕 Focus]||reward-far_from} {벌을 punishment-ACC} {받았다 received}" "(We) received punishment, a far cry from a reward."]

[gex 004 "{그녀는 she-TOP} {화를 anger-ACC} {내기는 express-TOP} {[p ko/커녕 Focus]||far_from}  {미소만 smile-only} {짓고 smiled} {있었다 PROG}" "Far from being angry, she was just smiling."]