japanese.tips

〜さえ even (surprising extreme)

Examples

ええ。焼物(やきもの)ならではの釉薬(ゆうやく)の垂(た)れや窯(かま)傷(きず)さえもが一(ひと)つの山水(さんすい)の景色(けしき)となり、晩秋(ばんしゅう)の川辺(かわべ)の風情(ふぜい)を客人(きゃくじん)の眼前(がんぜん)に立(た)ち上(あ)がらせます。この料理(りょうり)と器(うつわ)の奇跡(きせき)的(てき)な調和(ちょうわ)と雅致(がち)こそ、当(とう)アトリエが守(まも)り続(つづ)ける茶(ちゃ)懐石(かいせき)の真髄(しんずい)でございますね。

Yes. Even the drips of glaze and the kiln scars that only fired pottery has become a landscape of mountains and water, raising before the guest's eyes the poetry of a riverbank in late autumn. This miraculous harmony and refined grace between food and vessel is the very essence of the tea kaiseki the atelier keeps alive. (N1 lesson 164)

Practice

研(と)ぎ終(お)えた包丁(ほうちょう)を渡(わた)せ。……ふむ、刃先(はさき)を透(す)かすと、産毛(うぶげ)(  )も抵抗(ていこう)なく剃(そ)り落(お)とす凄(すさ)まじい切削(せっさく)力(りょく)と、一切(いっさい)の歪(ひず)みのない鋭利(えいり)な刃先(はさき)が立(た)っている。

Pass the blade to me. ...Hmph. Angled to the light, it yields a cutting potency that shears hair effortlessly, with an acute edge devoid of the slightest distortion. (N1 lesson 262)
  1. ずつ
  2. さえ
  3. だけ
  4. しか
Answer

さえ