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N3

さえ〜ば

If only…then, As long as..., Provided..., Only thing ... needs for ... is ...

この薬くすりを毎日まいにち飲のみさえすれば、すぐに治なおりますよ。

As long as you drink this medicine every day, it will heal quickly.

Explanation

「さえ~ば」 means 'as long as...' or 'if only...'. If this one key condition is met, nothing else matters, and the good result will surely come: 「お金さえあれば、何でも買える」 (If I only have money, I can buy anything); 「体さえ丈夫なら、何とかなる」 (As long as I'm healthy, things will work out). Forms: noun+さえ+ば; verb stem+さえすれば; verb 「て」 form+さえいれば.

Mixed up with

Verb forms are tested: 「読む」 becomes 「読みさえすれば」; 「読んでいる」 becomes 「読んでさえいれば」. 「×読むさえすれば」 is wrong.

Plain 「~ば」 is just a general 'if'. 「~さえ~ば」 stresses that this one condition alone is enough.

Examples

  1. タナカさんは若わかくさえあれば、あんな人ひとでも雇やとう。

    Tanaka-san will hire anyone, so long as they are young.

  2. 家いえの前まえの道みちさえ広ひろければSUVが買かえたのに。

    I would have been able to buy an SUV, if only the street in front of my house was bigger.

  3. もっと若わかい頃ころからお金かねを貯ためてさえいれば、今いま頃ごろデカい家いえを買かえてたかも。

    If only I had saved up money since I was young, by now, I would have been able to buy a big house.

Tested 3 times in past papers

N2 · Dec 2013, Q33N2 · Dec 2011, Q46N1 · Dec 2010, Q40