さえ～ば

さえ with a ば-conditional means "as long as" or "if only": this one condition is all it takes, and nothing else matters. After a noun, さえ replaces が or を and the verb takes its ば-form.

On the verb: さえすれば

To put the weight on the action rather than on a noun, さえ goes on the ます-stem and すれば follows. A する-verb noun takes さえすれば directly.

くすり薬さえのめば飲めば and くすり薬をのみ飲みさえすれば say the same thing; the first stresses the medicine, the second the taking.

• × 飲むさえすれば → 飲みさえすれば

Adjectives

An い-adjective can take its ば-form straight after the noun's さえ, or go to the く-form with さえあれば. A な-adjective or a noun as predicate takes でさえあれば.

Usage notes

These go beyond the plain condition.

With a て-form: さえいれば

A て-form with さえいれば means "as long as you keep doing".

Regret with のに

With のに at the end, the sentence regrets that the condition isn't met.