N3 Grammar Course

Teacher

Marshall

Lesson 32: 〜さえ

Usage:

Noun + さえ
Particle + さえ
Noun (People) + （で） + さえ

Meaning:

「～さえ」means “even…”.

Example Sentences:

（1）日本人でさえ、敬語を間違える場合がある。
Even Japanese may make a mistake in the honorific language.

（2）彼は歩くことさえできない。
Even walking is hard for him.

（3）彼は浮くことさえできない。まして泳げない。
He can’t even float let alone swim.

（4）彼は日曜でさえ働かねばならなかった。
He had to work even on Sunday.

（5）彼は敵対者にさえ新しい経済計画に同意させた。
He got even his opponents to agree to the new economic plan.

（6）彼は男が主犯ではないかとさえ思った。
He even suspected that the man was the principal offender.

（7）彼は自分の名前を書くことさえできない。
He cannot so much as write his own name.

（8）彼は自分の影さえも恐れる。
He is even afraid of his own shadow.

（9）彼は私にさよならさえ言わなかった。
He did not so much as say good-by to me.

（10）彼は監督に挨拶さえしなかった。
He did not so much as greet the manager.

Notes:

①You can use も to replace さえ, but さえ is like an intensive of も.
彼は歩くこともできない。
Even walking is hard for him.

②さえも is like an intensive of さえ. They are very similar words and in many cases can be used interchangeably.
彼は歩くことさえもできない。
Even walking is hard for him.

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