а камоли

Let Alone

Level 6Sounds Like a kamoli

А камоли means "let alone" or "never mind". Не знае да чита, а камоли да пишува. (He can't read, let alone write.)

How It Works

How it works. The first part of the sentence denies something or says that it is hard. It often has не, ни (not even), никој or тешко. After a comma, а камоли adds a bigger step that is even less likely: if the first thing is not true, the second one surely is not.

  • Немам ни денар, а камоли илјада евра. (I don't have a single denar, let alone a thousand euros.)
  • Тешко ми е да одам, а камоли да трчам. (It is hard for me to walk, let alone run.)

Keep the two parts matching. After a да-clause, use a да-clause: Не знае да чита, а камоли да пишува. After a noun, a noun is enough and the verb is not repeated: Никој не го прочита ни првиот дел, а камоли вториот. When the second part is a whole new action, use a да-clause even if the first part has an ordinary verb: Не ме ни поздрави, а камоли да ме покани на кафе.

The order matters. The easier or more likely thing comes first, and the harder one comes after а камоли: reading before writing, walking before running.

Only after a negative idea. А камоли does not follow a plain positive statement. To say "and even", use дури и: Зборува англиски, па дури и германски. Compare ни, which often appears in the first part, and не само ... туку и, which adds a bigger step to a positive statement.

Examples (5)

  1. Не знае да чита, а камоли да пишува.

    He can't read, let alone write.

    Word by Word: Not he-knows to he-reads, let-alone to he-writes.

  2. Немам ни денар, а камоли илјада евра.

    I don't have a single denar, let alone a thousand euros.

    Word by Word: Not-I-have not-even denar, let-alone thousand euros.

    The денар is the currency of North Macedonia.

  3. Тешко ми е да одам, а камоли да трчам.

    It's hard for me to walk, let alone run.

    Word by Word: Hard to-me is to I-walk, let-alone to I-run.

    Тешко (hard) gives the first part its negative idea.

  4. Не ме ни поздрави, а камоли да ме покани на кафе.

    She didn't even say hello to me, let alone invite me for coffee.

    Word by Word: Not me even she-greeted, let-alone to me she-invites for coffee.

  5. Никој не го прочита ни првиот дел, а камоли вториот.

    Nobody read even the first part, let alone the second.

    Word by Word: Nobody not it read even first-the part, let-alone second-the.

    After a noun, the verb is not repeated.

Common Mistakes

  • Using а камоли after a positive statement to mean "and even".

    Таа зборува англиски, а камоли германски.
    Таа зборува англиски, па дури и германски.

    А камоли only follows a statement that something is not true or is hard. To add a bigger step to a positive statement, use дури и.

  • Putting the easier thing after а камоли.

    Не знае да пишува, а камоли да чита. (meaning: he cannot even read)
    Не знае да чита, а камоли да пишува.

    The easier thing comes first. А камоли introduces the step that is even less likely, so writing goes after reading.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

а камолиLevel 6Let Alone

Learn This First

Let alone follows not only but also.

Words in This Pattern

камолиакамолиа