さえ～ば (sae~ba)
～さえ～ば — if only ～ / as long as ～
Pattern
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名詞＋さえ＋ば形（形容詞・名詞）noun + さえ + ば-form (天気さえ良ければ) -
動詞ます形＋さえすればverb stem + さえすれば (飲みさえすれば)
How to build it
With nouns and na-adjectives: あなたさえよければ. With i-adjectives: 安くさえあれば. With verbs: stem + さえすれば (飲みさえすれば). It carries the speaker's feeling that this one condition is enough and nothing else matters.
Use and cautions
The second half is a result, possibility or state, such as 治る, できる or 大丈夫だ. An intention or command is hard to place there. A related pattern 〜さえ…ばいい means “that alone is fine,” and works for wishes and advice. Its feature is stressing that a single condition suffices.
Examples
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薬（くすり）を飲（の）みさえすれば、すぐ治（なお）ります。
Kusuri o nomi sae sureba, sugu naorimasu.
If you just take the medicine, you'll get better soon.
Verb stem + さえすれば.
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あなたさえよければ、いつでも出発（しゅっぱつ）できます。
Anata sae yokereba, itsu demo shuppatsu dekimasu.
As long as you're okay with it, we can leave anytime.
Your readiness is the only condition.
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天気（てんき）さえ良（よ）ければ、明日（あした）は海（うみ）へ行（い）ける。
Tenki sae yokereba, ashita wa umi e ikeru.
If only the weather is good, we can go to the sea tomorrow.
Noun + さえ + i-adjective ば-form.
Common mistakes
- Verbs use stem + さえすれば: × 飲むさえすれば, ○ 飲みさえすれば.
- Do not forget the ば-form: × 天気さえ良い、行ける.
More grammar points
- ば～のに ～ば～のに — if only ～, then ～ (regret)
- どんなに～ても どんなに～ても — no matter how ～
- いくら～ても いくら～ても — no matter how much ～
- もしも〜たら もしも～たら — if ever ～ (hypothetical)
- ないと ～ないと — if you don't ～, then ～ (so you must ～)
- にしても ～にしても — even if ～ / even granting ～
- たとえ～ても たとえ～ても — “even if ～”
- たって ～たって — casual “even if ～”
- とすれば・としたら・とすると とすれば／としたら／とすると — “supposing ～ / if ～”
- かぎり ～かぎり — “as long as ～ / as far as ～”
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
- あまりにも あまりにも — far too ～, excessively
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- ばいい ～ばいい — you just have to ～, it is fine to just ～
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ば～ほど ～ば～ほど — the more ～, the more ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
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