100520
So I have this sentence:

> [クリスマス]{くりすます}に[来]{き}てさえいれば、[ケーキ]{けーき}を[食]{た}べられたのに。

and I've been trying to puzzle what 来てさえいれば means. I know いれば is the
conditional form of いる and きて is the te form of くる but what does さえ mean? If
it's a verb then what's its dictionary form?

Also what's the purpose of られたのに? I only know なのに, what's られた for? Also the
sentence translates to "If you came for Christmas, you could have eaten the
cake" but if られたのに is related to なのに, then it should mean "even though". Why
is "even though" not in the translation?
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2023-08-03T03:21:58.553
100519
2023-08-27T06:42:06.247
2023-08-08T13:54:22.783
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question
grammar conditionals
What does 来てさえいれば mean in 「クリスマスに来てさえいれば、ケーキを食べられたのに」?
さえ is particle "even".

In that sentence, さえ is part of construction `VERB-て + さえ + いれば`, which as a
whole means "if only ..., as long as ...".

* * *

Your segmentation of _tabe raretanoni_ is incorrect. It should be: _taberareta
no ni_.

* * *

Suffix _-(r)are-_ has 4 functions: spontaneous action, passive voice,
potential, honorific.

Form of this suffix with initial _r_ is used with vowel-stem verbs, and this
suffix itself is vowel-stem auxiliary verb.

This suffix would be followed by other suffixes, e.g. suffix _-ru_ of vowel-
stem Conclusive or suffix _-ta_ of Perfective ("past tense").

_kak-_ = "to write" (Conclusive: 書{か}く)

_kak-are-_ = "to be written, to be able to write, ..." (Conclusive: 書{か}かれる)

_tabe-_ = "to eat" (Conclusive: 食{た}べる)

_tabe- **r** are-_ = "to be eaten, to be able to eat, ..." (Conclusive:
食{た}べられる)

* * *

_no ni_ often means "even though, although", but in this case it generally
means disappointment.
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2023-08-03T05:08:34.057
100520
2023-08-03T05:08:34.057
56758
100519
answer
You will find a fuller explanation of the usage of さえ in my answer to a
similar question [雨さえなければ -
meaning](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/100797/%E9%9B%A8%E3%81%95%E3%81%88%E3%81%AA%E3%81%91%E3%82%8C%E3%81%B0-meaning),
but in short, here さえ is focusing 来て where it is adding the nuance of '(if)
just', so 'if [he] had just been here at Christmas, he could have eaten the
cake'. I assume the passive form of 食べる is being used as respect, an
adversative passive would be odd here I think. のに is signalling a hypothetical
condition, 'if he had come.., he could have eaten...[but he didn't in fact
come]'.
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2023-08-27T06:42:06.247
100806
2023-08-27T06:42:06.247
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answer