Both「さえ」and「すら」translate to "even" in English, but their range of use differs.「さえ」is the all-rounder,「すら」is the specialist.
Shared Use: Emphasizing Extremes
Both highlight an extreme example to emphasize "even this...":
| さえ | すら |
|---|---|
| 簡単な問題さえ解けなかった。 | 簡単な問題すら解けなかった。 |
| I couldn't even solve an easy problem. | I couldn't even solve an easy problem. |
| さえ | すら |
|---|---|
| 十円さえ持っていなかった。 | 十円すら持っていなかった。 |
| I didn't even have 10 yen. | I didn't even have 10 yen. |
In this usage, they're nearly interchangeable.「すら」sounds more formal/literary.
さえ's Unique Skill: Conditional Sentences
「さえ」can pair with the conditional ば to mean "as long as... then...":
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 時間さえあれば、ボランティアに行く。 | As long as I have time, I'll go volunteer. |
| お金さえあれば、何でも買える。 | As long as you have money, you can buy anything. |
| 薬を飲みさえすれば、治る。 | As long as you take medicine, you'll recover. |
すら cannot do this! ❌ 時間すらあれば → unnatural
さえ…ば Connection Patterns
| Preceding word | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + さえ…ば | 時間さえあれば |
| Verb | ます-stem + さえすれば | 飲みさえすれば |
| い-adjective | Stem + くさえあれば | 安くさえあれば |
すら's Specialty: Pure Emphasis
「すら」only emphasizes extreme examples — no conditionals. Its tone is more formal and literary than「さえ」:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 当時の私は十円すら持っていなかった。 | At the time, I didn't even have 10 yen. |
| 彼は挨拶すらしなかった。 | He didn't even say hello. |
In everyday speech,「さえ」is more common;「すら」appears more in writing and exams.
Comparison Summary
| Function | さえ | すら |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme emphasis | ✅ | ✅ |
| Conditional (as long as...) | ✅ さえ…ば | ❌ |
| Register | Universal | Formal/literary |
| Frequency | High | Low |
One-line rule: Everything すら can do, さえ can also do. But さえ…ば (conditionals) is さえ-exclusive.
Summary
- Both「さえ」and「すら」mean "even..." (emphasizing extreme examples)
- 「さえ」can also pair with ば for conditionals: "as long as..."
- 「すら」cannot form conditionals — it's emphasis-only
- 「すら」is more formal/literary, common in exams
- For everyday conversation, default to「さえ」
Practice
1. Complete with さえ…ば:
健康____、何でもできる。
Show answer
健康でさえあれば、何でもできる。 As long as you're healthy, you can do anything.
2. Which sentence is unnatural?
- a. お金さえあれば、旅行に行ける。
- b. お金すらあれば、旅行に行ける。
Show answer
b is unnatural. すら cannot be used in conditional sentences (すら…ば). Use さえ instead.
3. What's the difference between「子どもさえ知っている」and「子どもすら知っている」?
Show answer
The meaning is the same: even children know (emphasizing "even the least likely group knows"). The difference is register:
- さえ is more everyday and universal
- すら is more formal and literary For daily conversation, さえ is the default choice.