日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

~すら

~sura

even

When to use it

Use ~すら in written or formal spoken Japanese to spotlight an extreme, minimal case — "not even X," implying that if even X doesn't hold, everything beyond it certainly doesn't. It is a stiffer, more emphatic cousin of ~さえ, common in reports, complaint emails, and press releases, and it very often pairs with a negative predicate. Avoid it in casual conversation, where ~さえ or ~も sounds more natural.

Formation

  • Noun + すら: replaces が/を entirely (返事すらない, 資料すら見ていない); with other particles it follows them — にすら, とすら, からすら
  • Noun + ですら: used when the noun is the topic/subject and you want extra emphasis (専門家ですら分からない)
  • Verbs: cannot attach directly; nominalize first — 辞書形 + ことすら (確認することすらしない), or use 〜てすら with the て-form (聞いてすらいない)
  • い-adjectives / な-adjectives: not used directly; recast as a noun clause (安全かどうかすら不明だ, 妥当であるかすら疑わしい)
  • Predicate is typically negative or expresses inadequacy; affirmative use is rare and marked

Examples

  • The other party hasn't even glanced at the estimate.

  • There wasn't even an apology regarding the delivery delay.

  • We haven't even been told the name of the person in charge.

  • Even the board members hadn't heard about this merger.

  • Not even an objection was raised to this proposal.