Grammar ～さえ | Mimikara Oboeru N3

～さえ

even; even (to the extent)

Structure

N/V て/V ます minus ます/ [question word + か] + さえ

Explanation

Express extreme degree: 'even..., surprisingly so.'

Examples

1この子（こ）はもう６歳（さい）だが、まだ自分（じぶん）の名前（なまえ）さえ読（よ）めない。

This child is already six years old but still can't even read his own name.

2娘（むすめ）は親（おや）にさえ相談（そうだん）せずに留学（りゅうがく）を決（き）めてしまった。

My daughter decided to study abroad without even consulting her parents.

3この問題（もんだい）は成績（せいせき）優秀（ゆうしゅう）な佐藤君（さとうくん）でさえできなかった。

Even Sato, an excellent student, couldn't solve this problem.

4「運動（うんどう）の苦手（にがて）な私（わたし）でさえ、１週間（しゅうかん）で泳（およ）げるようになったのだから、あなたなら３日（にち）でだいじょうぶよ」

If even someone like me, who is bad at sports, could learn to swim in a week, you'll be fine in three days.

5妻（つま）は夫（おっと）の給料（きゅうりょう）がいくらかさえ知（し）らなかった。

The wife didn't even know how much her husband earned.

6どんなに頼（たの）んでも、野口（のぐち）さんは会（あ）ってさえくれなかった。

No matter how much I begged, Mr. Noguchi wouldn't even meet with me.

7彼（かれ）は友人（ゆうじん）からの手紙（てがみ）を読（よ）みさえせずに、ごみ箱（ばこ）に放（ほう）り投（な）げた。

He threw his friend's letter into the trash without even reading it.

Note

1) Easy to confuse with ～まで. → ～さえ means 'even...', emphasizing something unexpected; it's not the 'up to/extent' limit.2) Easy to confuse with ～しか. → ～さえ: adds (even...). → ～しか: restricts and always used with negation.3) If used in the conditional form (～さえ…ば), it has a different meaning. → With ～さえ…ば it's often 'as long as/just... then...', so check the structure.