〜さえ / 〜でさえ
Even 〜さえ
Meaning
Picks an extreme example — "even ~". If this much is true, the rest follows.
Formation
[noun] + さえ / でさえ · [verb て-form] + さえ · 〜さえ〜ば (if only)
Notes
Stronger than も: 子供でさえ分かる implies "so of course an adult would". Replaces が and を but stacks after other particles (親にさえ). 〜さえ〜ば is the separate "if only" pattern: お金さえあれば.
Examples
そんなことは子供（こども）でさえ知（し）っています。
Even a child knows that.
Breakdown
忙（いそが）しくて、食事（しょくじ）をする時間（じかん）さえありません。
I am so busy I do not even have time to eat.
Breakdown
親（おや）にさえ話（はな）していません。
I have not even told my parents. (さえ stacks after に)
Breakdown
自分（じぶん）の名前（なまえ）さえ書（か）けませんでした。
He could not even write his own name.
Breakdown
雨（あめ）さえ降（ふ）らなければ、出（で）かけられます。
As long as it does not rain, we can go out. (〜さえ〜ば)
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜くらい / 〜ぐらい
About / to the extent 〜くらい
An approximate amount — "about ~" — or a degree — "to the extent that ~".
〜ば〜ほど
The more … the more 〜ば〜ほど
"The more ~, the more ~" — one thing increases as another does.
〜ほど / 〜ほどだ
To the extent 〜ほど
Gives a yardstick for how much — "so ~ that …", "to the extent of ~".
〜こそ
Precisely 〜こそ
Singles something out for emphasis — "this is the one that ~", "precisely ~".
〜てまで / 〜までして
Even going so far as 〜てまで
"Even going so far as to ~".
〜極まりない
Utterly extreme 〜極まりない
"Extremely ~", "~ in the extreme" — an emphatic, usually critical judgement.
〜といったらない
Beyond description 〜といったらない
"Indescribably ~", "~ beyond words" — an exclamation of extremity.
〜始末だ
Ending up badly 〜始末だ
"It ended up ~ (of all things)" — a bad process reaches a worse conclusion.