N3 Emphasis, Limitation, and Addition

~(で)さえ: meaning, usage and examples

~(で)さえ means: even... (as an extreme example).

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

Examples

1. 先生せんせいは、私わたしの名前なまえさえ覚おぼえていなかった。

   The teacher didn't even remember my name.

2. ひらがなさえ読よめないのだから、漢字かんじは無理むりだ。

   He can't even read hiragana, so kanji is out of the question.

3. 忙いそがしくて、昼ひるご飯はんを食たべる時間じかんさえありません。

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

4. この問題もんだいは、先生せんせいでさえわかりませんでした。

   Even the teacher couldn't figure out this problem.

When to use it

Means 'even'. Use it to give an extreme example, so that something else is clearly true too: 名前なまえさえ覚おぼえていない 'doesn't even remember my name (so of course nothing else)'. でさえ is used with a person or group as the subject: 先生せんせいでさえわからない 'even the teacher doesn't know'.

Nuance

Often negative or surprised. It sounds a little more formal and stronger than も. さえ replaces が and を; other particles go before it (子こどもにさえ). Also see さえ〜ば (if only), which is a separate pattern.

Compare

Compare も: 名前なまえも覚おぼえていない can be a plain 'also'. 名前なまえさえ makes it the lowest, easiest case. Compare まで: まで adds one more thing on top of others (風かぜまで強つよくなった). さえ points to an extreme example that implies the rest.

Tip: Use でさえ for a subject: 先生せんせいでさえ. For an object, use plain さえ with no を: 水みずさえ飲のめない.