N1 Addition and Emphasis (Particles)

~すら / ~ですら: meaning, usage and examples

~すら / ~ですら means: even... (stronger than も).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. あまりの忙いそがしさに、食事しょくじをとる時間じかんすらない。

   I'm so busy I don't even have time to eat.

2. 子供こどもですら知しっていることを、彼かれは知しらなかった。

   He didn't know something that even a child knows.

3. 疲つかれすぎて、立たち上あがる力ちからすら残のこっていなかった。

   I was so exhausted I didn't even have the strength to stand up.

4. 専門せんもん家かですら、この問題もんだいの原因げんいんは分わからないそうだ。

   Apparently even experts don't know what is causing this problem.

When to use it

Stresses an extreme example to say that even this is or is not the case, so of course others are too. Usually with a negative: 名前なまえすら覚おぼえていない (I do not even remember the name). ですら marks a subject: 専門せんもん家かですら分わからない (Even experts do not know).

Nuance

Somewhat written and stronger than さえ; in speech it sounds serious. Mostly used with negative or surprising results, often with ない. Do not use ですら for a direct object; use すら: 水みずすら飲のめない.

Compare

～さえ is the everyday equivalent: 水みずさえ飲のめない. ～すら is more formal and emphatic: 水みずすら飲のめない. ～だに is literary and fixed: 想像そうぞうするだに恐おそろしい. Only さえ has the conditional form さえ～ば; すら does not.

Tip: You can usually swap すら for さえ, but not the other way in ～さえ～ば (if only).