Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 10/18

だけで

Just by, Just with

Structure

Verb + だけで
Noun + だけで

Details

  • Register

    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About だけで

だけで is a combination of the adverbial particle だけ, and the case marking particleで. This expression is regularly thought of as meaning 'just by (A), (B)'. However, the literal translation is a bit closer to 'with only (A), (B)'. This reflects the で particle's standard usage of showing a 'tool' that is being used to achieve a certain result.
To use だけで, simply attach it to the end of any (non ます) form of verb, or noun.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)と話(はな)すだけで楽(たの)しい。
    Just talking with my girlfriend is fun. (We don't need to do anything else, because talking is fun enough)
  • これは電子(でんし)レンジだけでオーブンの機能(きのう)はついていない。
    This is just a microwave, an oven function is not included.
Fun Fact
だけ differs from しか in one very important way. だけ highlights that there is/was more than one option, but that only one thing was chosen/used. However, しか implies that there is only one possible option to begin with.

Examples

  • パーティーに行(い)くだけで楽(たの)しい。

    Just going to a party is fun.

  • 顔(かお)を見(み)ただけで、彼(かれ)はいい人(ひと)だと分(わ)かった。

    I could tell he was a good person just by his face.

  • 一緒(いっしょ)に時間(じかん)を過(す)ごすだけで、仲良(なかよ)くなりました。

    We became good friends just by spending time together.

  • 彼(かれ)を見(み)ただけで性格(せいかく)が悪(わる)いと分(わ)かった。

    Just by looking at him I determined that he had a bad personality.

  • 家族(かぞく)と一緒(いっしょ)に居(い)るだけで、幸(しあわ)せ。

    Just by being with my family I am happy.

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だけで – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

  • eefara

    eefara

    Hmm. So if you changed the sentence to
    見舞いに行くだけいいよ。, how would that change the meaning? Would that be ungrammatical now?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    だけいい can be used in some context but will mean a little bit different thing. While Aだけでいい will mean that something is good enough and nothing else is needed,
    Aだけいい will mean that the situation is not good, but A is better than nothing (or better than some other situation that is mentioned). Basically comparison.
    You can also say the same thing using だけまし.

    たとえ５分しかいなくても、来るだけいいよ。
    Coming even if just for 5 minutes is better than nothing.

    あの生徒は見舞いに来るだけいいよ。他の生徒はひとりも来ないんだから。

  • deltacat3

    deltacat3

    そういうことを言ってくれるだけで、君は優しいと分かる。
    Just by you saying that I know that you are nice.

    Why is 優しい marked with と? Is this a quotation of sorts?

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