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~さえ

~さえ

Today’s Grammar Point: ~さえ

Yesterday, I talked about the ~まで to describe a/the limit (“to ~” or “up to ~”) or to emphasise the extreme nature of a situation (“to the extent of ~” or “even ~”). You cannot replace the limit setting ~まで with ~さえ but the ~まで for describing extremeness of a situation can sometimes be replaced with ~さえ. Today, I’m going to talk about ~さえ which can replace ~まで.

~さえ actually has 3 different meanings/usages but the ~さえ that can be replaced with ~まで is when ~さえ is used to describe “accumulation” and it can be translated using “besides” or “as well as ~.” This ~さえ is often used in a negative connotation like “something was already bad enough but even ~ happened to make it worse” but it can be used in a positive meaning. If you add も afterwards, ~さえも emphasises the accumulation even more.

Connections

  • [noun] (+ [particle])* + さえ
  • [plain form verb] + こと (+ [particle])* + さえ
    *さえ usually replaces particles は、が、を but if any other particle is needed, that stays.
  • [てform verb] + さえ

Examples of emphasis

あめっていたのに、かぜさえきだした。
あめっていたのに、かぜまできだした。
As if the rain wasn’t bad enough, the wind started to blow a gale.

だんだんくらくなって、ゆきさえってきた。
=だんだんくらくなって、ゆきまでってきた。
It got darker and darker, and, what is worse, it began to snow.

あめんで、太陽たいようさえかおせた。(Today’s Caption)
あめんで、太陽たいようまでかおせた。
The rain stopped and even the sun showed up.

強風きょうふう屋根やねさえんだ。
強風きょうふう屋根やねまでんだ。
Even the roof was blown off by the strong wind. (there are many things blown off and even the roof blew off)

先生せんせいさえジョンさんのうそしんじてしまった。
先生せんせいまでジョンさんのうそしんじてしまった。
Even the teacher believed John’s lie. (there are many people who believed John’s lie and even the teacher was added to the list)

みずさえ有料ゆうりょうだ。
みずまで有料ゆうりょうだ。
Even water is charged. (You have to pay for lots of things and even for water)

なかがすいてぬすさえしたそうだ。
=おなかがすいてぬすまでしたそうだ。
He was so hungry that he went to the extent of committing theft.

みずむことさえむずかしい。
みずむことまでむずかしい。
Even drinking water is difficult.

カンニングをしてさえ、いいてんりたいんですか。
=カンニングをしてまで、いいてんりたいんですか。
Will you go as far as cheating in order to get good marks?

いのちけてさえまもりたいものがありますか。
いのちけてまでまもりたいものがありますか。
Is there anything you want to protect risking everything including life?

Answer to today’s question: c (for meaning see above)

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