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Formation: N + さえ + V-ば / い-adj-ければ / な-adj・N + なら・であれば; V-ます stem + さえ + すれば; V-て + さえ + いれば; い-adj-く + さえ + あれば; な-adj・N + で + さえ + あれば

Says that one condition is all it takes for the result to follow, and that nothing else matters. With past results it expresses regret: if only X had (or hadn't) happened. It is used in both speech and writing. Compare 〜限り, which means "as long as" a state continues, and 〜ないことには, which says that without X the result cannot happen; さえ〜ば stresses that X alone is enough.

Variants: 〜さえすれば、〜さえしなければ、〜てさえいれば、〜さえあれば、〜さえなければ

Examples

• 天気さえよければ、山頂から富士山が見えます。
  As long as the weather is good, you can see Mt. Fuji from the summit.
• このボタンを押しさえすれば、自動で録画が始まる。
  All you have to do is press this button, and recording starts automatically.
• あの時一言謝ってさえいれば、こんなことにはならなかった。
  If only I had apologized back then, things wouldn't have come to this.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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