さえ and すら both often mean “even”; だに is now largely limited to literary set phrases. さえ is common in speech and also appears in conditions such as お金さえあれば. すら gives similar emphasis with a more literary feel. Learn だに through expressions such as 想像だにしない rather than treating every use as freely interchangeable.
also written sura / sae / dani / さえ〜ば / 想像だに
さえ — even; the everyday one · すら — even; the written one · だに — even; fossilised in a handful of phrases
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
さえ — the everyday one
polite
。
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それ
それ
that
pronoun · the thing already under discussion
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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子供
こども ［0］
children
noun · the extreme example — if even they know it, everyone does
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さえ
さえ
even
particle · the everyday 'even', and it displaces が here
さえN3even · everyday
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知って
しって
know
て-form of 知る · a change verb, so ている gives the state
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います
います
(have that state)
polite いる · the information is held
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Even children know that.
すら — the same thing, in writing
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · the person in question
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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水
みず ［0］
water
noun · the lowest possible bar, which is what makes it the example
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すら
すら
even
particle · identical to さえ in meaning, written in register
すらN1even · written
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飲めなかった
のめなかった
couldn't drink
negative past potential of 飲む · inability, not refusal
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He couldn't even drink water.
だに — a fixed phrase, not a rule
plain past
。
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そんな
そんな
that kind of
demonstrative · pointing at what was just described
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こと
こと
a thing; a matter
noun · plain 'thing' after そんな — no verb here to nominalise
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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想像
そうぞう ［0］
imagining
noun · one of the few words だに still attaches to
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だに
だに
even
particle · fossilised — learn 想像だに as a unit, not as a pattern
だにN1even · literary
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しなかった
しなかった
didn't do
plain past negative of する · だに nearly always takes a negative
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I never even imagined it.
だに — the other set phrase
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · the one holding still
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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微動
びどう ［0］
the slightest movement
noun · 微 slight ＋ 動 movement, and it appears almost only here
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だに
だに
even
particle · 微動だにしない is a unit, learned whole
微動だにしないN1not move a muscle
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しなかった
しなかった
didn't
plain past negative of する · the negative is part of the phrase
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He didn't move a muscle.
さえ〜ば — the job only さえ has
plain
、。
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お金
おかね ［0］
money
noun · the one missing condition
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さえ
さえ
if only
particle · the first half of さえ〜ば, which すら cannot enter
さえ〜ばN3if only
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あれば
あれば
if there were
conditional of ある · the second half of the frame
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明日
あした ［3］
tomorrow
noun used adverbially · relative time, no particle
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行く
いく ［0］
to go
godan verb · irregular て-form 行って
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のに
のに
but I would
conjunction · the regret that the condition is unmet
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If only I had the money, I'd go tomorrow.
も — the neutral version
plain
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · whose name is unknown
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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名前
なまえ ［0］
name
noun · the thing not known
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も
も
not even
particle · the plain version, with none of さえ's emphasis
もN5not even — neutral
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知らない
しらない
don't know
plain negative of 知る · usual form for not knowing
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I don't even know his name.
Structure
How each one attaches
子供 / 水 / 名前＋さえ
子供さえ知っている. Replaces が and を; with other particles it stacks — ここにさえ, 友達にさえ.
水 / 名前 / 挨拶＋すら
水すら飲めない. Same slot as さえ, and it will make a sentence sound written the moment you use it.
想像 / 微動 / 一顧＋だに
想像だにしなかった. Learn the phrases rather than the rule — inventing new ones with だに does not work.
Noun ＋ さえ＋〜ば
お金さえあれば. The conditional splits around the noun, and this shape is さえ's alone.
Meaning
Register, and the one job only さえ has
The meaning is shared: if even this, then certainly the rest.子供さえ知っている says that if children know it, adults certainly do. さえ and すら commonly do this; だに now survives mostly in set literary expressions.
さえ is speech, すら is writing.水すら飲めなかった and 水さえ飲めなかった mean the same thing; the first belongs in an article, the second in conversation. The emphasis is close, though their distribution is not identical.
だに is literary in modern Japanese. It survives in expressions such as 想像だにしない, 微動だにしない, and 夢にだに思わない. Productive use is uncommon, so learners should recognize its established combinations first.
さえ readily forms a sufficient-condition pattern.お金さえあれば means “if only I had the money.” すら and だに are not normal replacements in this construction.
も is the neutral fallback.名前も知らない is “I don't even know the name” without any of the emphasis. When a sentence with すら feels overwrought, this is usually what it wanted.
Watch out
Where these three go wrong
Inventing new だに phrases
だに is rare and literary in modern Japanese. Learn established phrases such as 想像だにしない and 微動だにしない first; novel uses can sound deliberately archaic.
Using すら in conversation
It is not wrong, it is just written. 水すら飲めない in a chat sounds like reading from an article; さえ is what people say.
Reaching for すら〜ば
The conditional frame belongs to さえ alone: お金さえあれば. お金すらあれば is not a pattern.
Also asked
Questions people ask about すら, さえ and だに
Is there any meaning difference between さえ and すら?
Essentially none — the difference is register. すら is written and formal; さえ is what people say. Either can carry the “even” meaning.
Why can't I use だに freely?
だに remains available in literary style, but everyday speakers mostly meet it in established expressions.
What is さえ〜ば?
The “if only” frame: お金さえあれば. The particle marks the one thing that would be enough, and the conditional closes it. Only さえ does this.
さえ or も?
も is neutral — “also, not even.” さえ adds emphasis by presenting an extreme case. 名前も知らない reports; 名前さえ知らない makes a point of it.
Does さえ replace other particles?
It replaces が and を, and stacks onto the rest — 友達にさえ, ここでさえ. The same is true of すら.
Does だに always take a negative?
Often in examples like 想像だにしない, but だに is not inherently a negative marker.
