Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 10/18

だけでJust by, Just with

Structure

Verb + だけ
Noun + だけ

Details

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About だけで

だけで is a combination of the adverbial particle だけ, and the case marking particle. 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 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.

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

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    パーティー()だけで(たの)

    Just (by) going to a party is fun.

    (かお)()だけで(かれ)いい(ひと)()った

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

    一緒(いっしょ)時間(じかん)()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.

    (かれ)()だけで性格(せいかく)(わる)()った

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

    家族(かぞく)一緒(いっしょ)()だけで(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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