Condition and supposition

～さえ～ば

if only; as long as ... (that alone is enough)

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How to form it

  • Noun + さえ + verb (ば-form)
  • Verb (ます-stem) + さえすれば
  • い-adjective (く) + さえあれば / さえなければ

Register: Neutral

Explanation

Says that one condition alone is enough for the result to hold. Everything else is unnecessary.

The word marked with さえ is the one essential condition. The result is usually positive or desired.

Examples

  1. お金さえあれば、何でも買える。

    おかねさえあれば、なんでもかえる。

    If only I had money, I could buy anything.

  2. 時間さえあれば、旅行に行きたい。

    じかんさえあれば、りょこうにいきたい。

    If I just had the time, I'd like to go travelling.

  3. 君さえよければ、一緒に行こう。

    きみさえよければ、いっしょにいこう。

    If it's fine with you, let's go together.

Compare with

  • ～さえ: さえ alone means 'even'; with ば it means 'as long as'.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing it up with the 'even' meaning of さえ.