Not even: 〜すら
名詞(+助詞)+ すら(ですら)
X すら(ですら)= “even X”: an extreme case, often with a negative. More written than さえ, and never in 〜さえ〜ば.
In short
X すら means “even X”: X is the extreme case, the most basic or the most unexpected, which shows how serious the situation is. Very often with a negative (名前すら知らない). For a subject, you say ですら (専門家ですら). すら is more written and literary than さえ, and isn't used in the condition 〜さえ〜ば. Written register.
- 彼は隣の人の名前すら知らない。かれはとなりのひとのなまえすらしらない。He doesn't even know his neighbour's name.
- この問題は、専門家ですら解くのが難しい。このもんだいは、せんもんかですらとくのがむずかしい。This problem is hard to solve, even for specialists.
- 疲れ果てて、立ち上がる力すら残っていなかった。つかれはてて、たちあがるちからすらのこっていなかった。I was exhausted: I didn't even have the strength left to stand up.
The basics
すら marks the limiting case: if even X is affected, then everything else is all the more so. 名前すら知らない = he doesn't even know the name, so as for the rest… It's an emphatic word, often tinged with surprise or reproach.
He doesn't even know his neighbour's name.
- noun
- particle
- verb
- 隣の人の名前すら知らない。となりのひとのなまえすらしらない。He doesn't even know his neighbour's name.
- 当時は、電話をかけることすら簡単ではなかった。とうじは、でんわをかけることすらかんたんではなかった。In those days, even making a phone call wasn't easy.
How to form it
すら replaces が and を, but is added after other particles. For the subject, ですら is readily used. A verb is nominalised with こと.
| Position | Construction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| object | noun + すら | 名前すら知らない |
| subject | noun + ですら | 専門家ですらわからない |
| other particle | noun + に/と + すら | 親にすら言えない |
| verb | 〜ことすら | 立つことすらできない |
- この悩みは、親にすら打ち明けられなかった。このなやみは、おやにすらうちあけられなかった。I couldn't even confide this worry to my parents.
すら and さえ
In the sense of “even”, すら and さえ are almost interchangeable; すら is more written. But さえ has a second use that すら lacks: the minimal condition 〜さえ〜ば (“as long as”). You say 時間さえあれば, never “時間すらあれば”.
- お金さえあれば、何でもできると思うのは間違いだ。おかねさえあれば、なんでもできるとおもうのはまちがいだ。Thinking that money alone lets you do anything is a mistake.
すら, さえ, だに, も
も is the neutral form (一度も). さえ is common in speech and writing. すら is more written. だに is literary and fixed (夢にだに思わない). The higher you go, the more formal the register.
| Form | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜も | neutral | 一度も行ったことがない |
| 〜さえ | everyday | 名前さえ知らない |
| 〜すら | written | 名前すら知らない |
| 〜だに | literary, fixed | 夢にだに思わない |
- 彼とは一度も話したことがない。かれとはいちどもはなしたことがない。I've never once spoken to him.
Common mistakes
- Using すら for a condition: you say 時間さえあれば, not “時間すらあれば”.
- Keeping が or を: you say 名前すら知らない, not “名前をすら”.
- Using it for an ordinary case: すら marks an extreme, the case you didn't expect.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Hokuriku Line (Arts and crafts) of the Shinkansen.