Structure
Noun + だけしか + ない
Details
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Standard
About だけしか
だけしか is a combination of two adverbial particles, だけ 'only', and しか 'nothing but'. This structure primarily follows nouns, before part (B) of the sentence will have a corresponding ない based word.
Despite all of these possibilities, it should be noted that だけしか～ない is an expression that appears with negative verbs, far more than any of the other combinations.
Fun Fact
だけしか may appear as though it is saying 'only' twice, but each particle has its own specific nuance. These nuances are as follows:
だけ - Removes one thing (from within a group), and presents it as the 'only' thing that fits a certain criteria.
しか - Highlights something that exists by itself as not having any alternatives.
Due to this, each meaning compounds together, with だけ saying 'just this', while しか adds 'and only this!'. Reversing the order and putting しか before だけ would not work, as the sequence of selection needs to be logical.
Related
Examples
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この時間、医師は一人だけしかいません。
At this time of day, there is only one doctor present.
椅子はここにあるものだけしかありません。
Chairs are the only things here.
私には従兄弟が一人だけしかいません。
I only have one cousin.
僕は日本語だけしかできません。
I can only speak Japanese.
現金は今１０００円だけしかありません。
I only have 1000 yen in cash.
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How to use しか & だけ & だけしか
Maggie Sensei
Structure 20
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