〜さえ／〜でさえ

Noun + さえ. さえ usually takes the place of が and を (水を飲む → 水さえ飲めない). Other particles stay, and さえ comes after them: にさえ, とさえ, でさえ (友だちにさえ言わなかった). Noun + でさえ is common when the noun is the subject, especially a person (先生でさえ). A verb is first made into a noun with こと: 〜ことさえ. (〜さえ〜ば, 'if only', is a separate pattern.)

• 弟はまだ小さいので、ひらがなさえ書けない。

  おとうとはまだちいさいので、ひらがなさえかけない。

  My little brother is still small, so he can't even write hiragana.

• この問題は、先生でさえわからなかった。

  このもんだいは、せんせいでさえわからなかった。

  Even the teacher couldn't figure out this problem.

• 日本人でさえ、この漢字は読めないそうです。

  にほんじんでさえ、このかんじはよめないそうです。

  I hear that even Japanese people can't read this kanji.

• 疲れていて、友だちにさえ会いたくない日もある。

  つかれていて、ともだちにさえあいたくないひもある。

  Some days I'm so tired that I don't even want to see my friends.

• 自分の名前さえ漢字で書けないんですか。

  じぶんのなまえさえかんじでかけないんですか。

  You can't even write your own name in kanji?

• 最近は、小さい子どもでさえスマホを使っている。

  さいきんは、ちいさいこどもでさえスマホをつかっている。

  These days, even small children use smartphones.

• 寒い日は、外に出ることさえいやになります。

  さむいひは、そとにでることさえいやになります。

  On cold days, I don't even feel like going outside.

• Putting さえ before the particle. Particles such as に, と and で come first, and さえ follows them: ✕ 先生さえに聞けなかった → ○ 先生にさえ聞けなかった. With が and を, さえ usually replaces the particle: ○ 水さえ飲めなかった.
• Translating English 'even if' with さえ. さえ attaches to a noun and means 'even X'. For 'even if', use the て-form + も: ✕ 雨が降るさえ、出かけます → ○ 雨が降っても、出かけます.
• Mixing up さえ with the conditional さえ〜ば. 時間さえない means 'I don't even have time'. 時間さえあれば means 'if only I had time / as long as I have time'. Check whether ば follows.

〜さえ〜ば (if only / as long as)

Both use the same word さえ, but the meaning changes when a ば-form follows. Without ば, さえ gives an extreme example: お金さえ持っていなかった (I didn't even have money on me). With ば, it gives the one condition that is enough: お金さえあれば、旅行に行ける (As long as I have money, I can go on a trip).

Noun + でも (even)

Noun + でも can also mean 'even', and it is very common in conversation: 子どもでもできる (Even a child can do it). でさえ has the same basic meaning but sounds stronger and a little more formal, so it is common in writing and when the speaker is surprised: 大人でさえ難しい (Even adults find it hard). さえ can also come after other particles, as in 友だちにさえ.

In the grammar-form section, さえ is usually tested against しか, だけ, こそ and も in a sentence that describes something very basic that was not possible. Check the context: if the sentence says that even the easy thing did not happen, choose さえ. In sentence-building (star) questions, remember the order particle + さえ (にさえ, でさえ). Also watch for ば after さえ, which turns it into the separate pattern さえ〜ば.