means "even": it goes after a noun and marks the extreme case, so everything less extreme follows. It takes the place of
,
and
, and with a negative it means "not even".
。
Even children know that.
。
I don't even remember the name.
、。
I was so busy I couldn't even have lunch.
Other particles stay and come before さえ: , , .
。
He didn't tell the truth even to his friends.
。
It's cool around here even in summer.
With a verb, さえ goes on the ます-stem and carries the tense: , .
。
That person doesn't even say hello.
。
He didn't even read the letter.
さえ or も
can also mean "even", but it is the plain everyday choice and its weight comes from stress. さえ picks out the case as surprising or extreme, and sounds more written.
。
Even the experts didn't know.
means the same as さえ and is more literary still.
さえ～ば: "as long as"
With a ば-conditional, さえ says this one condition is all it takes. A verb takes the ます-stem and . This use has its own grammar point.
、。
If only I had the money, I could buy it.
、。
As long as you take the medicine, you'll get better quickly.
Lingaku