Used to emphasize that something appears or seems a certain way, often with a nuance of 'indeed' or 'very much so'. Common before verbs like そうだ, らしい, 困った, 嬉しそう, etc.
He talked as if it were truly his own achievement.
He smiled as if he were truly happy.
さも当然のように彼女は答えた。
She answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Archaic or literary use meaning 'in that way' or 'thus'. Mostly found in the set phrase さもありなん (it may well be so; that's quite possible).
See also: さもありなん
「さもありなん」という古い言い回しがある。
There is an old expression 'さもありなん' (it may well be so).
She smiled as if she were truly happy.
He told the lie as if it were completely true.
まるで sets up a simile meaning 'as if/completely', whereas さも stresses that a situation truly seems real rather than comparing it to something else.
otherwise; or else; if not
otherwise; or else; if not
otherwise; or else; if not
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 然も is rare and literary.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Derived from classical Japanese 然 (sa, 'that way') + も (mo, 'also/even'). The kanji 然 is used for its meaning 'thus' or 'in that way'.