Meaning & usage
The particle さえ marks an extreme or unexpected item with the sense of even, often pointing to a minimal case that surprises the speaker. It follows nouns, question words like なぜ or どこ, and nominalized clauses such as こと or の, and it can appear as さえも for added emphasis. With a negative verb it gives the meaning of not even, as in 名前さえ書けない.
Example sentences 7
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彼女はうそをつくことさえできる。
She can even tell lies!
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彼らはなぜなのかさえ知らない。
They don't even know why.
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実は彼女はその手紙を読んでさえいなかったのです。
The fact is that she didn't even read the letter.
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お兄さんはどこに行ったのかさえ分からない。
I don't even know where my older brother went.
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読む時間を見つけることさえできない。
I can't even find time to read.
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あの男は自分の名前さえも書けない。
That man can not so much as write his name.
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その男は自分の名前さえ書けなかった。
The man couldn't so much as write his own name.
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 9 past exam questions.
And 5 more tests.
