すらeven; not even
すら is the written さえ: "even", on the last thing you'd expect, and with a negative "not even". The one thing it can't do is the "as long as" of さえ～ば.
Even the experts could not decipher the code.
I don't even know the name of the person who lives next door.
How to form it
Noun + すら
It usually takes the place of が and を. Other particles stay, in front of it: にすら, とすら. For the one who does something, ですら is common, with the same meaning: 専門家ですら. A whole action takes こと first: 歩くことすら.
- Before it
- The extreme case: the simplest thing, the smallest amount, the last person you'd expect.
- After it
- Most often a negative, and something to be dismayed at. A positive is fine too.
- Where you'll meet it
- Newspapers, essays, novels, exam papers. Out loud people mostly say さえ or plain も, and keep すら for when they want the weight.
In use
Some of the finalists could not answer even basic questions.
に stays, and すら follows it.
The person in charge refused even to make the findings public.
Even the most cautious member of the committee supported the proposal.
A positive: if that member agreed, everyone did.
すら or さえ?
He can't even write his own name.
Neutral. Spoken or written.
He can't even write his own name.
The same in writing, with more weight.
Before a ば-form, さえ turns into "as long as" or "if only". すら doesn't.
Not said: 時間すら
(If only I had the time, I could read more books.)
時間さえあれば.
Close neighbours
さえ・さえ～ばN3
The everyday word for the same "even". With a ば-form after it, "as long as".
As long as I know the address, I can find it on the map.
はおろかN1
Often stands in front of it: A はおろか、B すら〜ない, "not even B, let alone A".
I've hurt my leg and can't even walk, let alone run.
だにN1
Older and rarer still. It survives in a handful of set phrases, where すら goes on any noun.
The residents had never even imagined that this quiet town would become a battlefield.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
天気
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which says the same in everyday speech?
彼は
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
After the disaster, not even a single clinic was left in the village.
The application as submitted did not even carry the signature of the person responsible.
The research team has not tested even the most basic hypothesis.
This material is put together so that even beginners can grasp the main points.