ややもすれば

Japanese
Alternative spelling
動もすれば

Alternative forms
  • ややもすると (yaya mo suru to)
  • ややもせば (yaya mo seba)

Etymology

稍(やや) (yaya, “slightly”) + particle も (mo, “even”) + すれ (sure), the 仮定形(かていけい) (kateikei) of する (suru, “to do”) + hypothetical conditional particle ば (-ba, “if”); literally "if one does slightly [then the subject in question will...]", i.e. "easily, inclined to".

The superimposition of the kanji 動 (“move”) onto やや (yaya, “slightly”), a component with a different meaning than the superimposed kanji, is only in this set phrase, and can be understood in the context of movement, as in "if one [ever so slightly as] moves [then the subject in question will...]".

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ja̠ja̠ mo̞ sɨᵝɾe̞ba̠]

Adverb

ややもすれば • (yaya mo sureba) 

  1. easily; inclined to
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