さえ (sae)
～さえ — even ～
Pattern
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名詞＋さえ（＋助詞）noun + さえ: even this (子どもさえ解ける) -
動詞辞書形＋ことさえ／動詞ます形＋さえeven doing ～ (書くことさえ面倒だ)
Meaning and use
子どもさえ解ける means “even a child can solve it, so of course an adult can.” Conversely, 時間さえない means “I lack even the simplest thing, so the rest is all the more impossible.” It works in both affirmative and negative sentences.
Compared with も and まで
も simply means “also,” while さえ points to an extreme example. For verbs use 〜ことさえ, as in 名前を書くことさえ面倒だ. The form でさえ (子どもでさえ) is also common. すら has the same function with more emphasis.
Examples
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その問題（もんだい）は子（こ）どもさえ解（と）ける。
Sono mondai wa kodomo sae tokeru.
Even a child can solve that problem.
An easy example implies adults can too.
-
忙（いそが）しくて、昼（ひる）ごはんを食（た）べる時間（じかん）さえない。
Isogashikute, hirugohan o taberu jikan sae nai.
I'm so busy I don't even have time to eat lunch.
Negative: not even the minimum.
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疲（つか）れすぎて、名前（なまえ）を書（か）くことさえ面倒（めんどう）だ。
Tsukaresugite, namae o kaku koto sae mendō da.
I'm so tired that even writing my name feels like a bother.
Verb dictionary form + ことさえ.
Common mistakes
- Do not attach it directly to a verb: × 書くさえ, ○ 書くことさえ.
- さえ〜ば (〜さえすれば) is a separate use meaning “if only.”
More grammar points
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
- あまりにも あまりにも — far too ～, excessively
- ば～ほど ～ば～ほど — the more ～, the more ～
- 別（べつ）に～ない 別に～ない — not particularly ～
- だけ だけ — only, just; as much as ～
- どうしても どうしても — no matter what, absolutely
- ほど ～ほど — to the extent of ～
- ほど～ない A ほど～ない — not as ～ as A
- 決（けっ）して～ない 決して～ない — never ～
- くらい / ぐらい くらい／ぐらい — about ～, to the extent of ～
- めったに～ない めったに～ない — rarely ～
- なかなか なかなか — quite / (not) easily
- なるべく なるべく — as much as possible
- に比（くら）べて ～に比べて — compared with ～
- せいぜい せいぜい — at most / at best
- 数量（すうりょう） + は 数量＋は — “at least (amount)”
- とても～ない とても～ない — “can't possibly ～”
- よりも ～よりも — “more than ～ / rather than ～”
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