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」?


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?




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.




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.

