截至目前為止，多功能詞「ただ」和焦點提示助詞「さえ」的語意和用法一直以來受到日語學界的重視，並經過各種廣泛討論，然而，「ただでさえ」尚無學者提及。「ただでさえ」一詞雖是由「ただ」和「さえ」所組成，但已經成為另一個新詞，不論是語意特徵還是構式特徵皆與原有的不同。例如「ただ」和「さえ」兩者帶單句結構或是複句結構皆可，相對的「ただでさえ」則有以下語意和構式限制。在口語裡，「ただでさえ」出現於複句結構之子句部份作為開頭，呈現［［ただでさえ＋謂語］＋表逆接的接續助詞ノニ、（ノ）ダガ］或是［［ただでさえ＋謂語］＋表順接的接續助詞ノデ、（ノ）ダカラ］之典型構式。在書面語裡，出現「タメ」、「ダケニ」、「ウエ（ニ）」、「ニ加え」、「シ」等口語與書面語兼用的接續助詞，也產生上述接續助詞被省略的現象，呈現［［ただでさえ＋謂語］＋NP］構成連體修飾子句或是［ただでさえ＋謂語］單獨構成（狀似）單句等非典型構式。乍看之下典型構式複句結構「子句－母句」與非典型構式「連體修飾子句（狀似單句）－前後句子（上下文）」表面上構式特徵雖有所不同，但只要是在「ただでさえ」字句裡，「現有的狀態P」和「遞增或遞減的狀態Q」之間的語意對比與搭配關係必定潛在。

Today, the Japanese adverb tadadesae has not been discussed in the literature. However, the usage and meaning of its components, tada as a multi-functional word and (de)sae as a focus particle have long been discussed by many linguists. The aim of this paper is to illustrate certain usage pat terns and meaning of tadadesae. First of all, tadadesae must appear in a subordinate clause followed by a main clause, a syntactic property shared by neither tada nor sae. In speech, Tadadesae requires a contradictory conjunct ion, such as noni, no-daga, or a resultative conjunct ion, such as node and no-dakara in the subordinate clause. In writing, other conjunctions such as tame, dakeni, ue(ni), ni-kuwae, and shi appear, however, Tadadesae may also appear in noun-modifying clauses or compound clauses. Finally, in whichever construct ion it appears, the main clause must express the meaning of "increment/decrement", a semantic property shared by neither tada nor sae.