Vocabulary

私(わたし)

me; myself; I

子供(こ・ども)

child

食べる(た・べる) ru-verb

to eat

行く(い・く) u-verb

to go

言う(い・う) u-verb

to say

読む(よ・む) u-verb

to read

宿題(しゅく・だい)

homework

多い(おお・い) i-adj

numerous

トイレ(to i re)

bathroom; toilet

時間(じ・かん)

time

ある u-verb

to exist (inanimate)

お金(お・かね)

money

何(なに／なん)

what

出来る(で・き・る) ru-verb

to be able to do

お弁当(お・べん・とう)

box lunch

買う(か・う) u-verb

to buy

あんた

you (slang)

楽ちん(らく・ちん) na-adj

easy

ビタミン(bi ta mi n)

vitamin

健康(けん・こう)

health

保証(ほ・しょう)

guarantee

する exception

to do

自分(じ・ぶん)

oneself

過ち(あやま・ち)

fault, error

認める(みと・める) ru-verb

to recognize, to acknowledge

問題(もん・だい)

problem

解決(かい・けつ)

resolution

教科書(きょう・か・しょ)

textbook

もっと

more

ちゃんと

properly

いる ru-verb

to exist (animate)

合格(ごう・かく)

pass (as in an exam)

一言(ひと・こと)

a few words

くれる ru-verb

to give

こんな

this sort of

こと

event, matter

なる u-verb

to become

In English, we might say, “not even close” to show that not even the minimum expectation has been met. In Japanese, we can express this by attaching さえ to the object or verb that miserably failed to reach what one would consider to be a bare minimum requirement. Conversely, you can also use the same grammar in a positive sense to express something is all you need.

Examples

1. 宿題が多すぎて、トイレに行く時間さえなかった。
   There was so much homework, I didn’t even have time to go to the bathroom.

2. お金さえあれば、何でも出来るよ。
   The least you need is money and you can do anything.

3. お弁当を買うお金さえなかった。
   I didn’t even have money to buy lunch.

For nouns only, you can add で and use でさえ instead of just さえ. There are no grammatical differences but it does sound a bit more emphatic.

1. 私でさえ出来れば、あんたには楽ちんでしょう。
   If even I can do it, it should be a breeze for you.

You can also attach さえ to the stem of verbs to express a minimum action for a result. This is usually followed up immediately by する to show that the minimum action is done (or not). If the verb happens to be in a te-form, さえ can also be attached directly to the end of the て or で of the te-form.

1. ビタミンを食べさえすれば、健康が保証されますよ。
   If you just eat vitamins, your health will be guaranteed.

2. 自分の過ちを認めさえしなければ、問題は解決しないよ。
   The problem won’t be solved if you don’t even recognize your own mistake, you know.

3. 教科書をもっとちゃんと読んでさえいれば、合格できたのに。
   If only I had read the textbook more properly, I could have passed.

4. 一言言ってさえくれればこんなことにならなかった。
   If you only had said something things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

Vocabulary

私(わたし)

me; myself; I

子供(こ・ども)

child

この

this (abbr. of これの)

天才(てん・さい)

genius

分かる(わ・かる) u-verb

to understand

緊張(きん・ちょう)

nervousness

する exception

to do

ちらっと

a peek

見る(み・る) ru-verb

to see

こと

event, matter

出来る(で・き・る) ru-verb

to be able to do

人(ひと)

person

漢字(かん・じ)

Kanji

知る(し・る) u-verb

to know

生徒(せい・と)

student

いる ru-verb

to exist (animate)

(で)すら is a older variation of (で)さえ that is not as commonly used. It is essentially interchangeable with (で)さえ except that it is generally used only with nouns.

Examples

1. この天才の私ですらわからなかった。
   Even a genius such as myself couldn’t solve it.

2. 私は緊張しすぎて、ちらっと見ることすら出来ませんでした。
   I was so nervous that I couldn’t even take a quick peek.

3. 人の漢字すら知らない生徒は、いないでしょ！
   There are no students that don’t even know the 人 Kanji!

Vocabulary

愚か(おろ・か) na-adj

foolish

漢字(かん・じ)

Kanji

ひらがな

Hiragana

読む(よ・む) u-verb

to read

結婚(けっ・こん)

marriage

～ヶ月(～か・げつ)

counter for span of month(s)

付き合う(つ・き・あ・う) u-verb

to go out with; to accompany

結局(けっ・きょく)

eventually

別れる(わか・れる) ru-verb

to separate; to break up

大学(だい・がく)

college

高校(こう・こう)

high school

卒業(そつ・ぎょう)

graduate

する exception

to do

This grammar comes from the adjective 愚か which means to be foolish or stupid. However, in this case, you’re not making fun of something, rather by using おろか, you can indicate that something is so ridiculous that it’s not even worth considering. In English, we might say something like, “Are you kidding? I can’t touch my knees much less do a full split!” In this example, the full split is so beyond the person’s abilities that it would be foolish to even consider it.

Examples

1. 漢字はおろか、ひらがなさえ読めないよ！
   Forget about Kanji, I can’t even read Hiragana!

2. 結婚はおろか、2ヶ月付き合って、結局別れてしまった。
   We eventually broke up after going out two months much less get married.

3. 大学はおろか、高校すら卒業しなかった。
   I didn’t even graduate from high school much less college.

This grammar is rarely used and is primarily useful for JLPT level 1. The expression どころか is far more common and has a similar meaning. However, unlike おろか which is used as an adjective, どころか is attached directly to the noun, adjective, or verb.

• 漢字どころか、ひらがなさえ読めないよ！
  Forget about Kanji, I can’t even read Hiragana!