以上の文

Beyond the two uses of 以上 (ijou) mentioned in the previous post, there is an additional use very important to all aspirants to pass tests like the JLPT and so forth.

In the headline above, 文 (bun) means sentences. (When reading Japanese, it is always a good idea to assume that when neither singular nor plural is specified, it is plural. Skew plural unless otherwise noted.)

The の (no) particle simply joins the two. Here, 以上 (ijou) functions as an adjective. These words combine to form the phrase:

The Above Sentences

Since the 以 (i) part of 以上 (ijou) indicates relative comparison, this means, taken overly literally, “up, relative to the position of these words.”

In other words, relative to THIS SENTENCE, the bolded The Above Sentences is above THIS SENTENCE.

Without making a big deal about it, 以下 (ika) can be used similarly, but in the reverse:

以下の文 = The Below Sentences

Note for the record that when used with numbers, 3以下 can mean “up to 3” (therefore, lower than, or equal, to 3). This is unlike 3以上 which always means “more than 3, above 3, greater than 3.”

Example

以上の文を読んで下さい。

“Read the above sentences.”

A fuller version including the entire implication would read, with “above” shifted to a new role as a preposition, “Read the sentences above the position of this sentence, that is, the sentence you are reading right now.”

The ability to read this instruction, understand it, process it, and proceed to actually doing as you are asked in the absolute minimum time possible, is a valuable skill when taking a standardized Japanese language test.

Hammer by Tjcase2

八マーさえあれば…

In Japanese grammar, using さえ (sae) after a noun describes the minimum required.

It is often safer to read Japanese nouns as indicating plurals unless otherwise specified. Here, the inclusion of さえ (sae) indeed specifies that a hammer, that is, only one hammer, would be sufficient.

The verb is ある (aru) in the conditional tense. “If (I) had…”

Therefore:

“If only I had a hammer…”

Put another way:

“If I had even one hammer…”

Alternative, #1

There are two alternatives to さえ (sae).

First, there is でさえ (de sae) after a noun (and after a noun only).

八マーでさえあれば…

This places greater emphasis on the noun. It is like, “If only I had a hammer…”

Yet this does not feel right. Let us change the structure:

八マー無しには、私でさえ家を修理できない。

無し = “nashi,” or “without”

には = “ni wa,” reflective-sounding particles

家 = “ie,” house

修理 = ”ｓｈuri,” or “repair”

できない = “dekinai,” negative of “dekiru” (“cannot do” instead of “can do”)

Therefore:

“Even I can’t fix the house without a hammer.”

Alternatively:

“Even I can’t fix the house without at least one hammer.”

Alternative, #2

八マー無しには、私ですら家を修理できない。

This uses ですら (de sura) instead of でさえ (de sae).

The only practical difference is that “de sura” sounds older and more archaic, and therefore more formal.

As a matter of getting your message across, both have, in practice, the exact same meaning. Both also have the “emphasis factor” that a naked さえ (sae) might not.

Positive Spin

八マーには、私さえ家を修理できる。

In English:

“With a hammer, even I can fix up a house.”

Of course, this places quite a different spin on the abilities of 私 (watashi, i.e. the speaker).

Language is like a tool box. How you use it is up to you. Language need not be a hammer, making every problem look like a nail.  You can choose the right tool for the right job.

Footnote

You don’t want to use があれば or がなければ after 八マー in this example because that would require an unwritten topic. Since 私 is accounted for, you can’t have 私 as both the unwritten topic and an object and still be making sense. Having 私 as the topic alone would make the　さえ、でさえ、ですら constructions much harder to use effectively.

Disclaimer

I am not a native Japanese speaker, so this represents the best work of a non-native, non-professor grunt from the trenches. Feel free to correct any mistakes, non-ideal language, etc., that you find.

Article first published as If Only I Had A Hammer… on Technorati.