Meaning
Singles out an extreme example — “even X”, implying that everything else goes without saying. In negative sentences X is the easiest thing (“can’t even drink water”); in positive ones it is the least likely case (“even a child knows”). でさえ is an emphatic “even N”: most often with the subject (専門家でさえ), but also with a circumstance — 雨の日でさえ “even on a rainy day”; it sounds slightly more formal. The particles に／と／から are not replaced by で: 親にさえ言えない.
Formation
- N + さえ (replaces が／を): 水が飲めない → 水さえ飲めない
- N + でさえ (most often the subject, but also a circumstance: 雨の日でさえ): 専門家 → 専門家でさえ分からない
- N + particle (に・と・から…) + さえ: 親に → 親にさえ言えない
- Vます + さえ + しない: 見ない → 見さえしない
When to use it
- Where to use it
- When describing an extreme: 時間さえない “not even time”, 子どもでさえ知っている “even a child knows”. Fine in both speech and writing.
- Where not to use it
- Not for soft “maybe some…” suggestions — use でも (お茶でも飲みませんか). Do not confuse it with the conditional 〜さえ〜ば “if only, as long as”, which is a separate pattern.
Examples
20 sentences-
忙しくて、昼ご飯を食べる時間さえなかった。
I was so busy I didn’t even have time to eat lunch.
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喉が痛くて、水さえ飲めません。
My throat hurts so much I can’t even drink water.
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この漢字は、日本人でさえ読めない人が多い。
Even among Japanese people, many can’t read this kanji.
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親にさえ言えない悩みを、友達に相談した。
I talked to a friend about a worry I couldn’t even tell my parents.
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彼は私の顔を見さえしなかった。
He didn’t even look me in the face.
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そんな簡単なことは、小学生でさえ知っていますよ。
Even an elementary school kid knows something that simple.
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引っ越したばかりで、隣の人の名前さえ知らない。
I’ve only just moved in, so I don’t even know my neighbor’s name.
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自分の部屋さえ片付けられないのに、家全体を掃除できるの？
You can’t even tidy your own room — and you think you can clean the whole house?
12 more examples
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彼は家族とさえ口をきかなくなった。
He stopped speaking even to his own family.
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料理が苦手な父でさえ、このレシピなら作れました。
Even my dad, who’s hopeless at cooking, managed to make this recipe.
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熱が高くて、立っていることさえつらかった。
My fever was so high that even standing up was hard.
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祖母はメールさえ使ったことがない。
My grandmother has never even used email.
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プロの選手でさえ、この坂を登るのは大変だ。
Even pro athletes have a hard time getting up this slope.
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最近は、親友からさえ連絡が来ない。
Lately I don't even hear from my best friend.
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彼女は私が作った料理に手をつけさえしなかった。
She didn't even touch the food I made.
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その手紙、開けさえしなかったの？
You didn't even open that letter?
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この島には、コンビニさえない。
There isn't even a convenience store on this island.
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あの人気店には、雨の日でさえ行列ができる。
That popular place has a line even on rainy days.
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この不景気で、大企業さえ社員を減らしている。
With the economy this bad, even big companies are cutting staff.
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日本に来たときは、ひらがなさえ読めませんでした。
When I came to Japan, I couldn't even read hiragana.
Important notes
- さえ takes the place of が and を; other particles (に, と, から, で) stay and come before it: 家族とさえ話さない.
- Casual speech prefers も or でも (水も飲めない); さえ is more emphatic and slightly more formal, and すら is more literary still.
Common mistakes
- ✗ 子どもさえに話せない → ✓ 子どもにさえ話せない — the particle に comes before さえ, not after it.
- ✗ 彼は難しい漢字さえ読めない → ✓ 彼は簡単な漢字さえ読めない — in a negative sentence さえ marks the easiest case: “he can’t read even simple kanji”.
- ✗ お茶さえ飲みませんか → ✓ お茶でも飲みませんか — さえ cannot soften an invitation; “some tea or something” needs でも.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
- 〜でもでも also means “even” but is more casual and can soften a suggestion (お茶でも “tea or something”); さえ stresses the extreme more strongly and is never used in suggestions.
- ～まで（意外）まで adds a surprising item on top of others (“and on top of that, even…”), usually in positive sentences; さえ singles out one extreme case, especially in negatives.
- しか〜ないしか〜ない also takes a negative verb but means “only”: 水しか飲めない “I can only drink water”, whereas 水さえ飲めない “I can’t even drink water”.
- ～さえ～ば〜さえ〜ば is a condition — “as long as, if only”: 時間さえあれば; さえ on its own, without ば, simply means “even”.
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