せめて

JLPT N2approx.Neutral
Meaning

"At least"; "if nothing else." When the full or ideal outcome is out of reach, the speaker scales down to a minimum and wishes for, asks for, or settles on that much.

Formation
せめて+Noun+だけでもぐらい(は)でも
せめて+Verb phraseplaced before the minimal item or action
Fixed formせめてもの+Noune.g. せめてもの慰め

Predicate: usually a wish, request or intention (~てほしい, ~てください, ~たい, ~ならいいのに), or what one can at least do (e.g. せめて半分だけでも手伝ってほしい; せめてこれだけは言える)

Examples
全部ぜんぶは無理むりでも、せめて半分はんぶんだけでも手伝てつだってほしい。
Even if you can't do all of it, I'd like you to help with at least half.
会あえなくても、せめて電話でんわで声こえだけでも聞きかせてください。
Even if we can't meet, please at least let me hear your voice over the phone.
Usage

Used in everyday speech and writing when settling for less than one hoped for. It often follows a concessive clause such as ~ても or ~でも that states what is impossible, and is commonly reinforced with だけでも, ぐらい or だけは. Unlike なるべく, which aims at the maximum possible, せめて sets a lower limit.

Watch out

Do not use せめて to report plain facts; it pairs with wishes, requests, intentions, or what one can at least do (せめてこれだけは言える).

Note that せめて is not used for factual estimates like "at least 100 people came"; use 少なくとも there.

Easily confused with
  • なりともN1「なりとも」 attaches to nouns, typically minimum-quantity words like 「一度」 or 「少し」; it is fairly formal, sounds more weighty than 「でも」, and often appears with 「せめて」. After a question word it can also mean 'whatever / no matter', as in 「何なりとも」.
  • ないまでもN1「ないまでも」 is a conjunctive form attached to a verb's ない-form and the like, and you must state the higher standard that isn't reached; it is formal and, besides setting a minimum, can assess an actual degree ('though not quite…, still…'). It often pairs with 「せめて」 in the same sentence.
  • だけはN2「だけは」 must sit between two instances of the same verb (「言うだけは言う」) to mean doing at least this much or doing what one can, whatever the outcome. 「せめて」 is an adverb expressing a minimum wish or small consolation, so the two are not interchangeable.
  • たりともN1「たりとも」 follows 「一」 + counter or 「何人」 and takes a negative or prohibition to mean 'not even a single…', sounding formal and stern. 「せめて」 means 'at least… would be good' and mostly goes with wishes or requests, so the two are not interchangeable.
  • なるべくN3「なるべく」 means 'as much as possible', striving toward an upper limit; it directly modifies verbs and adjectives and can be followed by a negative. 「せめて」 falls back to a bare minimum, often pairs with 「だけでも」, and can describe facts already settled, so the two are not interchangeable.

「せめて」 is an adverb expressing the speaker's subjective wish for a bare minimum; 「ないまでも」 means 'even if not X, at least Y' and often pairs with 「せめて」, while 「なりとも」 attaches to nouns to mean 'even just a little', is more formal, and can also be used with 「せめて」. 「だけは」 limits the scope to 'at least this one thing', 「たりとも」 in 「一~たりとも」 + negative means 'not even one' (the opposite direction), and 「なるべく」 means 'as much as possible', expressing the degree of effort with no sense of settling for less.

Grammar · JLPT grammar levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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