Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Even’ or ‘As long as / If only’ depending on context.
🎯 Primary Function
To emphasize a point by highlighting an extreme or a single necessary condition.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun + さえ / Verb-stem + さえすれば / Verb-te + さえ / Particle + さえ
i-Adj stem + くさえあれば / i-Adj stem + くさえなれば
na-Adj + でさえあれば / na-Adj + でさえなければ
Noun + さえ + Negative Verb / Verb-te + さえ + Negative Verb
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Common in formal speeches and literature to emphasize points.
Informal Situations
Used frequently in daily life to express frustration or simple conditions.
Written Language
Common in essays and news to provide emphasis.
Spoken Language
Natural in spoken conversation, especially the ‘~sae…ba’ pattern.
💡 Common Applications
Emphasizing an extreme example
Used to emphasize that if something is true for an extreme case, it is certainly true for others.
Example: 子供でさえ (Even a child)
Minimum requirement (Conditional)
Used with the conditional form (~ba) to indicate the only condition needed for a result.
Example: 薬を飲みさえすれば (As long as you take medicine)
Frequency
High in both formal and casual Japanese.
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
子供でさえそんなことは知っている。
Furigana: こどもでさえそんなことはしっている。
Romaji: Kodomo de sae sonna koto wa shitte iru.
English: Even a child knows such a thing.
Example #2
忙しくて食事をする時間さえありませんでした。
Furigana: いそがしくてしょくじをするじかんさえありませんでした。
Romaji: Isogashikute shokuji o suru jikan sae arimasen deshita.
English: I was so busy that I didn’t even have time to eat.
Example #3
自分の電話番号さえ忘れてしまった。
Furigana: じぶんのでんわばんごうさえわすれてしまった。
Romaji: Jibun no denwa bangou sae wasurete shimatta.
English: I forgot even my own phone number.
Example #4
雨さえ降らなければ、サッカーの試合は行われます。
Furigana: あめさえふらなければ、サッカーのしあいはおこなわれます。
Romaji: Ame sae furanakereba, sakkaa no shiai wa okonawaremasu.
English: As long as it doesn’t rain, the soccer match will be held.
Example #5
お金さえあれば、何でもできると思っているのですか。
Furigana: おかねさえあれば、なんでもできるとおもっているのですか。
Romaji: Okane sae areba, nandemo dekiru to omotte iru no desu ka?
English: As long as you have money, you think you can do anything?
Example #6
あなたさえいれば、他になにもいりません。
Furigana: あなたさえいれば、ほかになにもいりません。
Romaji: Anata sae ireba, hoka ni nani mo irimasen.
English: As long as you are with me, I don’t need anything else.
Example #7
この試験さえ合格すれば、卒業できます。
Furigana: このしけんさえごうかくすれば、そつぎょうできます。
Romaji: Kono shiken sae goukaku sureba, sotsugyou dekimasu.
English: If only I could pass this exam, I’d be able to graduate.
Example #8
ひらがなさえ読めないのだから、漢字が読めるわけがない。
Furigana: ひらがなさえよめないのだから、かんじがよめるわけがない。
Romaji: Hiragana sae yomenai no dakara, kanji ga yomeru wake ga nai.
English: Since he can’t even read Hiragana, he definitely can’t read Kanji.
Example #9
説明書通りにやりさえすれば、間違えることはありません。
Furigana:
Romaji: Setsumeisho doori ni yari sae sureba, machigaeru koto wa arimasen.
English: As long as you follow the instructions, you won’t make a mistake.
Example #10
彼はさよならさえ言わずに帰ってしまった。
Furigana: かれはさよならさえいわずにかえってしまった。
Romaji: Kare wa sayonara sae iwazu ni kaette shimatta.
English: He left without even saying goodbye.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Particle handling
Particles like ‘ni’, ‘de’, ‘kara’ remain before ‘sae’, but ‘ga’ and ‘o’ are dropped.
Example: 日本でさえ (Even in Japan) / 日本にさえ (Even to Japan)
Minimum Condition
The ‘sae… ba’ pattern highlights the minimum requirement to reach a goal.
Example: 名前さえ書ければいい。 (It’s fine as long as you can write your name.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Noun + が + さえ (e.g., 水がさえあれば)
✅ Noun + さえ (e.g., 水さえあれば)
Particles like ‘ga’ and ‘o’ are omitted when ‘sae’ is used.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral; usable in all levels of politeness depending on the surrounding sentence structure.
Social Situations: Often used to express strong feelings like ‘If only…’ or to point out someone’s lack of basic knowledge.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
さえ (sae) vs すら (sura)
‘Sura’ is more literary and often used in negative contexts. ‘Sae’ is more versatile and common in daily life.
When to use: Use ‘sae’ for conditional ‘as long as’; use ‘sura’ for very formal ‘even’.
さえ (sae) vs も (mo) / まで (made)
‘Mo’ is a simple ‘also’. ‘Made’ implies reaching a limit. ‘Sae’ emphasizes that the item is the absolute minimum or an extreme.
When to use: Use ‘sae’ when you want to sound more emphatic than ‘mo’.
📝 Conjugation Notes
When used with verbs to mean ‘as long as’, use the Masu-stem + さえすれば or the Te-form + さえいれば. For nouns, simply attach さえ.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘sae’ is often slightly emphasized in speech to highlight the extreme example.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘sae’ as a spotlight. It shines a light on one specific thing (the most extreme or the only one that matters). For the conditional use, remember the ‘Sae… Ba’ sandwich.
Other Grammar
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