Lesson 120: こそ・さえ・さえ〜ば・はもちろん

N3 · Lesson 120 · 18 min — The very ~, even ~, as long as ~, ~ goes without saying: four 'emphasis' patterns

Last lesson you learned ほど, に比くらべて and から見みると, and Rin's Yanaka plan won over the meeting. This lesson has four 'emphasis' patterns: the very ~, even ~, as long as ~, and ~ goes without saying. Let's start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use こそ to stress 'this is the one', as in 今度こんどこそ (this time for sure) and こちらこそ (no, thank YOU)
• Use さえ／でさえ to say 'even ~'
• Use 〜さえ〜ば to say 'as long as ~, ~'
• Use AはもちろんBも to say 'A goes without saying, and B too'

Reply From Kyoto

Rin's plan won over the meeting. One September evening, Rin checks the dorm mailbox again… (住所じゅうしょ＝address, 返事へんじ＝reply, ポスト＝mailbox, また＝again, 今度こんど＝this time, 封筒ふうとう＝envelope, からっぽ＝empty, 押おし花ばな＝pressed flower)

こそ＝the very ~, さえ＝even ~, さえ〜ば＝as long as ~, は もちろん＝~ goes without saying. She has set a meeting for spring… and Manager Tanuki is opening Rin's plan.

Words in this lesson: waiting for a letter, and emphasis

• 〜こそ (koso): the very ~, precisely ~ (emphasis)
• 今度こんどこそ (kondo koso): this time for sure ~
• こちらこそ (kochira koso): No, I'm the one who should (thank you / apologize)
• 〜さえ (sae): even ~
• 〜でさえ (de sae): even (a person like ~ / a time like ~)
• 住所じゅうしょさえ わかれば (jūsho sae wakareba): as long as I know the address (then ~)
• 〜は もちろん (wa mochiron): ~ goes without saying (of course)
• 住所じゅうしょ (jūsho): address
• 返事へんじ (henji): reply, answer
• ポスト (posuto): mailbox; red street postbox
• からっぽ (karappo): empty, with nothing inside
• 封筒ふうとう (fūtō): envelope
• 押おし花ばな (oshibana): pressed flower
• 字じ (ji): character; handwriting
• また (mata): again
• 疲つかれる (tsukareru): to get tired
• 薬くすり (kusuri): medicine
• 治なおる (naoru): to get better, to be cured (illness)
• 寝坊ねぼうする (nebō suru): to oversleep
• 人気にんき (ninki): popularity, being popular
• 富士山ふじさん (Fujisan): Mt. Fuji
• 奈良なら (Nara): Nara (place name)
• 坂さか (saka): slope, hill road
• 涼すずしい (suzushii): cool, refreshing
• ぎょうざ (gyōza): gyoza (pan-fried dumplings)
• しあわせ (shiawase): happiness (な-adjective)

Grammar 1 / 4: こそ

N こそ＝the very N, N is the one. Pick one thing from many and put a spotlight on it: 'This is the one!'

• N こそ＝the very N, N is the one: Pick one out of many possibilities for emphasis: これこそ ぼくが 待まって いた 手紙てがみだ＝this is the very letter I was waiting for (not some other one).
• 今度こんどこそ・明日あしたこそ・今年ことしこそ: You failed or missed out before, and now you are determined: 今度こんどこそ がんばります＝this time I will do my best, for sure. It is often followed by 「〜たい」「〜よう」「〜はずだ」.
• こちらこそ＝I'm the one who ~: When the other person says 「ありがとう」「すみません」「よろしく おねがいします」 (thanks, apologies, polite set phrases) and you feel the same way, answer こちらこそ. Don't use it for greetings (おはようございます、こんにちは).
• は・が・を are replaced by こそ: わたしが → わたしこそ; 今度こんどは → 今度こんどこそ. Don't say わたしが こそ or 今度こんどは こそ.

• 今度こんどこそ 返事へんじが 来くる はずだ。 — This time there should be a reply for sure.
• 明日あしたこそ 早はやく 起おきよう。 — Tomorrow I'll get up early for sure!
• A：いつも ありがとう。　B：こちらこそ、ありがとう。 — A: Thank you for everything. B: No, thank YOU.
• これこそ、ぼくが 食たべたかった ラーメンだ。 — This is the very ramen I wanted to eat!
• 今年ことしこそ 富士山ふじさんに 登のぼりたい。 — This year I'll climb Mt. Fuji for sure.

Grammar 2 / 4: さえ

N さえ＝even N. Give the most basic (or most extreme) example, which means 'the rest goes without saying'.

• N さえ＝even N: 名前なまえさえ ない＝there isn't even a name (so other information is even less likely). It is often used with negative sentences and sounds surprised or exaggerated. It can also be used in positive sentences (see point 3).
• は・が・を disappear; に・で・と stay: 名前なまえが → 名前なまえさえ; 水みずを → 水みずさえ. But に・で・と stay: 友ともだちに さえ 言いって いない＝I haven't even told my friends.
• でさえ: after a person or a time: でさえ goes after the person or time that you would most expect to manage it, or least expect to. Negative: 日本人にほんじんでさえ 読よめない＝even a Japanese person (who should be able to) can't read it. Positive: 子こどもでさえ 作つくれる＝even a child (the least likely) can make it, so it's easy; 八月はちがつでさえ 涼すずしい＝even in August (the hottest month) it's cool.
• Verb: Vる ことさえ: A verb first needs こと to become a noun: 歩あるく ことさえ できない＝can't even walk. It is close to でも, which you already know (子こどもでも わかる), but さえ is stronger and more formal.

• 封筒ふうとうに 名前なまえさえ 書かいて いない。 — There isn't even a name on the envelope.
• 忙いそがしくて、昼ひるごはんを 食たべる 時間じかんさえ ない。 — I'm so busy I don't even have time for lunch.
• この 漢字かんじは 日本人にほんじんでさえ 読よめない。 — Even Japanese people can't read this kanji.
• これは 子こどもでさえ 作つくれる かんたんな 料理りょうりです。 — This is an easy dish that even a child can make.
• 疲つかれて、歩あるく ことさえ できない。 — I'm so tired I can't even walk.
• ひらがなさえ 読よめなかった ぼくが、今いまは 手紙てがみを 読よんで いる。 — I used to be unable to read even hiragana, and now I'm reading a letter.

Grammar 3 / 4: さえ〜ば

A さえ B ば、C＝as long as A (this one condition), C. Nothing else is a problem; this is the only key.

• A さえ B ば＝as long as A, ~: 時間じかんさえ あれば、行いきたい＝as long as there's time, I want to go. The point is 'the condition is small and easy': only this one thing is missing.
• Form: noun + さえ + ば-form: Verbs: わかれば・あれば・飲のめば; い-adjectives: よければ (いい→よければ). When the ending is a noun or a な-adjective, use なら: 体からださえ 元気げんきなら＝as long as you're healthy (さえ follows 体からだ, and なら follows 元気げんき).
• A verb as the condition: ます-stem + さえ すれば: 寝ねさえ すれば 治なおる＝as long as you sleep, you'll get better. For する verbs: 練習れんしゅうさえ すれば.
• Often used with のに to show regret: 住所じゅうしょさえ わかれば、会あいに 行いけるのに＝if only I knew the address, I could go see her (but I don't). This is the same さえ as 'even ~' above; with ば after it, it turns into 'as long as'.

• 住所じゅうしょさえ わかれば、会あいに 行いけるのに。 — If only I knew the address, I could go see her (but I don't).
• 天気てんきさえ よければ、富士山ふじさんが 見みえる。 — As long as the weather is good, you can see Mt. Fuji.
• この 薬くすりさえ 飲のめば、すぐ 治なおりますよ。 — Just take this medicine, and you'll be better right away.
• 毎日まいにち 練習れんしゅうさえ すれば、上手じょうずに なる。 — As long as you practice every day, you'll improve.
• 寝ねさえ すれば、元気げんきに なります。 — As long as you sleep, you'll feel better.

Grammar 4 / 4: はもちろん

A は もちろん、B も～＝A goes without saying, and B too. A is the obvious one, and B is added on top.

• A は もちろん、B も＝A goes without saying, and B too: ひらがなは もちろん、カタカナも 読よめる＝I can read hiragana, of course, and katakana too.
• Put the obvious one first: A is easier or more expected. B is more surprising or a higher level. In reverse it sounds strange: 'Difficult kanji go without saying, and I can even read hiragana.'
• が・を become は; で stays; に is often dropped: ラーメンを → ラーメンは もちろん. で usually stays on both sides: 日本にほんでは もちろん、台湾たいわんでも. The direction particles に・へ are often dropped on the A side, leaving just は: 京都きょうとは もちろん (京都きょうとには もちろん is also fine). On the B side it stays: 奈良ならにも.
• Compare with だけでなく〜も: だけでなく〜も＝not only ~ but also ~, neutral in tone. は もちろん adds the feeling that the first item is a given. もちろん can also stand alone: もちろんです＝of course.

• おじいちゃんは もちろん、ぼくも うれしいです。 — Grandpa goes without saying, and I'm happy too.
• 京都きょうとは もちろん、奈良ならにも 行いきたい。 — Kyoto goes without saying, and I want to go to Nara too.
• 日本にほんでは もちろん、台湾たいわんでも 人気にんきが ある。 — It's popular in Japan, of course, and in Taiwan too.
• ひらがなは もちろん、カタカナも 読よめます。 — Hiragana goes without saying, and I can read katakana too.
• 谷中やなかでは、猫ねこは もちろん、坂さかも 有名ゆうめいです。 — In Yanaka, cats go without saying, and the slopes are famous too.