Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 9: 12/23

だけに

As might be expected, Because, All the more because, It's only natural

Structure

Verb + だけ
[い]Adjective + だけ
[な]Adjective + + だけ
Noun + だけ

Details

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About だけに

だけに is a grammar pattern that is often translated as 'as might be expected of (A)', 'it's only natural due to (A)', or simply 'because of (A)'. Being a combination of だけ 'just', and に 'to', the literal meaning is 'just in that it's (A)', and is similar to the counterpart phrase in English.
だけに may be used when highlighting either positive or negative results that came about due to (A), and will appear after verbs, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives that have been followed by な, or nouns.
  • トムさんは日本語(にほんご)を8(ねん)勉強(べんきょう)しているだけに日本語(にほんご)がペラペラだ。
    Tom has been studying Japanese for 8 years and as one might expect, he is fluent in Japanese.
  • このアパートは東京(とうきょう)(えき)(ちか)だけに家賃(やちん)(たか)い。
    This apartment is very close to Tokyo station, and as one might expect, the rent is expensive.
  • このアプリは便利(べんり)だけに、どんどんとユーザーが()えてきています。
    This application is becoming more and more popular just because it is so useful.
  • (なつ)(やす)みであるだけに海水浴場(かいすいよくじょう)には(ひと)がたくさんいる。
    It is summer vacation and as one might expect, there are a lot of people at the beach.
Also, だけに may be used when highlighting that specifically because of (A), (B) is considered a level above what would usually be expected. This can be in terms of difficulty, emotional reaction, volume, or anything else that is quantifiable.
  • 合格(ごうかく)したと(おも)っていただけに不合格(ふごうかく)()った(とき)はとてもショックだった。
    I was very shocked when I learned that I had been rejected because I thought I had passed.
  • 普段(ふだん)(やさ)しいだけに彼女(かのじょ)(おこ)っている姿(すがた)()(とき)はびっくりしました。
    I was surprised to see her angry because she is usually so kind.
Fun-fact - With any of these meanings, the equivalent 'just in that it's (A)' English expression can be utilized as an accurate interpretation, as both it and だけに often just draw the listener's attention to (A), in order to show that (B) is noteworthy because of it.
  • (かれ)子供(こども)(ころ)からそろばんを(なら)っているだけに暗算(あんざん)がとてもうまい。
    Just in that he has been learning the abacus since childhood, he is very good at mental math.

Examples

  • この(くるま)最新(さいしん)だけ椅子(いす)のヒーターもあります

    This is a brand new car and as one might expect, it comes with heated seats.

  • (とし)()ってきただけ出来(でき)なくなったことが(おお)

    As one might expect with aging, there are a lot of things you can no longer do.

  • (かれ)経験(けいけん)(なが)だけ自信(じしん)()って演説(えんぜつ)ができた。

    As one might expect from his extensive experience, he confidently gave the speech.

  • (かれ)有名(ゆうめい)司会(しかい)(しゃ)だけ臨機応変(りんきおうへん)対応(たいおう)できます。

    As one might expect from him being a famous moderator, he can adapt himself to deal with it.

  • プロ棋士(きし)だけ将棋(しょうぎ)との()()(かた)半端(はんぱ)じゃない。

    As one might expect from a professional shogi player, the way he approaches the game is not careless.

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だけに – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (6 in total)

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    About 3 years ago

    @Hadros232232 だけのことはある and だけあって are essentially the same. だけあって is simply the conjunctive version of だけのことはある. So, “このリンゴはおいしい。高かっただけのことはある。” basically means the same thing as “このリンゴは高かっただけあって、おいしい。” Cheers!

  • onekun

    onekun

    About 2 years ago

    Would it be correct to say that the nuance of だけに vs さすが is that だけに functions more as a “because?”

  • Fuga

    Fuga

    About 1 year ago

    Hey @onekun !
    We apologize for the late response. Yes, だけに functions more like ‘because’, while さすが has the nuance of ‘this is what I expected of…’ or ‘I would expect nothing less than…’. I hope that answers your question!

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