Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 7: 1/13

だけ

Only, Just

Structure

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

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Particle

  • Part of Speech

    Adverbial Particle

  • Register

    Standard

  • 品詞

    助詞

  • 単語の種類

    副助詞

  • 使用域

    一般

About だけ

だけ is used in Japanese in a similar way to 'only' or 'just' in English. The basic meaning of this word is that 'while there are/were several possibilities, only (A) is true/was chosen'. だけ is used by attaching it to the base (dictionary) form of any word, except for な-Adjectives, which require な when being used adjectivally.

Due to な-Adjectives being able to be used as either a noun or an adjective, the meaning of a sentence will be different depending on whether だけ is used with the noun form, or the adjective form.

Basically this difference just highlights whether something is being discussed in a measurable way (an adjective), or an immeasurable way (a noun).

Examples

--:--

    一人(ひとり)だけです。

    Only one person.

    それだけです。

    Only that.

    サッカーだけが好(す)き。

    I only like soccer.

    私(わたし)だけ行(い)きます。

    Only I am going.

    その映画(えいが)は長(なが)いだけ。

    That movie is just long.

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        • みんなの日本語 I

          Page 74 [CH 11]

        • [DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar

          Page 93

        • Marugoto Elementary 2 (A2) Rikai

          Page 91

        • Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide

          Page 244

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      だけ – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (16 in total)

      • Pablunpro

        Pablunpro

        Hello,

        Whilst reading a short story, I came upon のみ as a literary version of だけ. Could this be added as a fun fact to this grammar point?

        Thank you very much for your consideration. よい週末を

      • cheesegyudonman

        cheesegyudonman

        Hello,

        What would be the difference between the two sentences:
        彼女は綺麗なだけ
        彼女は綺麗だけ

        Thank You

      • Pablunpro

        Pablunpro

        Hi!

        I take this chance to reiterate this request, i.e. to add のみ as a fun fact to this grammar point. In fact, のみ appears indirectly in this grammar point: のみならず.

        Thank you very much for your consideration.

        よい週末を

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