GRAMMAR DETAIL
〜でさえ
Emphasizes the breadth of a range by citing the most unexpected subject as an example.
Examples
長年研究した人でさえ、この問題はすぐに解けなかった。
Even people who had studied it for years could not solve this problem right away.
Words used
子どもでさえ、この標識の意味を知っている。
Even children know what this sign means.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
でさえfollows a noun and emphasizes a judgment by presenting a case that holds even at an unexpected extreme. - Basic usage:
長年研究した人でさえ、この問題はすぐに解けなかった。emphasizes that even long-term researchers could not solve the problem immediately.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- The direction of the extreme depends on context
子どもでさえ知っているemphasizes ease by citing children who might not be expected to know.研究した人でさえ解けないemphasizes difficulty by citing people expected to solve it who still cannot.