As long as, all you need is: 〜さえ〜ば
Noun + さえ + verb in ば / verb in ます without ます + さえすれば
Noun + さえ + ば-form / ます-stem + さえすれば: “all you need is, as long as”, the only necessary condition.
In short
さえ combined with the ば-form expresses a sufficient condition: “all you need is…, as long as…”. お金さえあれば: “as long as you have money (everything else follows)”. It's the one and only condition to meet.
- 時間さえあれば、もっと京都を回りたい。じかんさえあれば、もっときょうとをまわりたい。If only I had the time, I'd see more of Kyoto.
- この薬を飲みさえすれば、すぐ治りますよ。このくすりをのみさえすれば、すぐなおりますよ。Just take this medicine and you'll soon be better.
- 天気さえよければ、山の上から海が見える。てんきさえよければ、やまのうえからうみがみえる。As long as the weather's good, you can see the sea from the top of the mountain.
The basics
さえ isolates a single element, and ば turns it into a condition: “if only this element is there, everything else works”. It's the minimal, sufficient condition — English “as long as”, “all you need is”.
Depending on context, the sentence expresses advice (“all you need is…”), regret (“if only…”, often with のに) or a concession (“provided that…”).
If only I had the time, I'd see more of Kyoto.
- noun
- particle
- grammatical form
- verb
- 地図さえあれば、一人で行けます。ちずさえあれば、ひとりでいけます。As long as I have a map, I can go on my own.
How to form it
When the condition is about a noun, さえ goes after the noun and the verb goes into ば. When it's about the action itself, take the ます-stem + さえ + すれば. する-verbs (練習する) give 練習さえすれば or 練習しさえすれば.
| About | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a noun | Noun + さえ + 〜ば | お金さえあれば |
| an action | ます-stem + さえすれば | 飲みさえすれば |
| a する verb | Noun + さえすれば | 練習さえすれば |
| an い-adjective | Noun + さえ + 〜ければ | 天気さえよければ |
| a な-adjective / predicate noun | 〜さえ + 〜なら（ば） | 体さえ元気なら |
| a state (〜ている) | 〜てさえいれば | 笑ってさえいれば |
- 練習さえすれば、だれでもできるようになる。れんしゅうさえすれば、だれでもできるようになる。Anyone can learn to do it, as long as they practise.
- 家族が元気でさえいれば、それでいい。かぞくがげんきでさえいれば、それでいい。As long as my family is healthy, that's enough for me.
さえ〜ば, ば alone, だけで
〜ば alone sets one condition among others. さえ〜ば asserts that it's the ONLY thing needed. 〜だけでいい also says “that's enough”, but without the value of a condition: 名前を書くだけでいい, “all you have to do is write your name”.
- 名前を書くだけでいいです。なまえをかくだけでいいです。All you need to do is write your name.
- あの時、勇気さえあれば…。あのとき、ゆうきさえあれば…。If only I'd had the courage back then…
Common mistakes
- Putting さえ in the wrong place with a verb: it's 飲みさえすれば (ます-stem + さえ + すれば), not “飲むさえば”.
- Confusing さえ〜ば (all you need is) with さえ alone (even): the meaning depends on whether ば is there.
- Keeping を before さえ: 薬さえ飲めば, not “薬をさえ飲めば”.
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 N3 point is on the Kintetsu Kyōto Line (Competition and danger) of the Kyoto lines.