The Particle だけ
In a nutshell, the adverbial particle だけ shows limitation meaning “just/only.” This lesson will teach you how it is used to mean just this.
The Adverbial Particle だけ
だけ means “just/only” and shows the extent/limit of something. だけ can also be after verbs, adjectives, etc. that are in the れんたいけい. So, いやなだけ not いやだけ. This is because it’s actually from the noun 丈（たけ）, which means “length”.
| Noun + だけ | 形容詞 ＋ だけ | 形容動詞 ＋ だけ | Verb ＋ だけ |
| 手 ＋ だけ → 手だけ | ほしい ＋ だけ → ほしいだけ | 好き ＋ だけ → 好きなだけ | 話す＋ だけ → 話すだけ |
Particle Note: が and を are optional after だけ. Don’t put them before it.
1. テストのことを思うだけで不安になった。
I became uneasy just at the thought of the test.
2. 赤いリンゴだけ五つください。
Please give me five red apples only.
3. 君だけを愛している。
I only love you.
4. 私は英語だけ（を）勉強します。
I only study English.
5. 人は外見だけでは分かりません。
You can’t tell a person just by looks.
6. 今回だけは見逃してください。
Please overlook just this one time.
7. 一人だけ｛です・います｝。
There is only 1 person.
8. ほしいだけ持つ。
To carry just what one wants.
9. 彼は、この前の週末に洗濯だけしたのよ。(Feminine)
He only did the laundry last weekend!
10. 彼女は、この前の週末に掃除だけしたんだよ。(Masculine)
She only did cleaning last weekend!
だけで（は）なく
だけで｛（は）・じゃ｝なく means “not only”.
11. 猫がいるだけでなく、犬もいます。
Not only are there cats, but there are also dogs.
12a. あの部屋は広いだけでなく、とても明るくて美しいです。(ちょっと不自然)
12b. あの部屋は広くて明るいです。(もっと自然)
That room is not only spacious, but it’s also very bright and beautiful.
だけ（のこと）だ
だけ（のこと）だ states that there is nothing more than something. So, it can be translated as “…is no more than”. With the inclusion of のこと, the statement is more forceful.
13. 風邪を引いただけだよ。
I only caught a cold.
14. 会社が破産しただけのことだ。
It’s just that the company went bankrupt.
15. 見ているだけです。
I’m just looking.
16. 膝を擦り剥いただけ。
I only grazed my knee.
Speech Level Note: The deletion of だ makes だけ a final particle. It makes the sentence less blunt. だけです is perfectly fine for polite speech.
With こそあど
With これ, それ, あれ, and どれ, だけ translates as “much.”
18. 便利なサイトはこれだけです。
These are the only useful sites.
19. これだけの切符を集めていた。
I’ve collected this many tickets.
20. それだけなの？(A little feminine)
Is that all?
21. その入門書は本当に高いが、それだけの価値がある。
The beginner’s book is really expensive, but it has the worth.
22. どれだけ苦しくても僕は離しはしない。
No matter how hard it is, I won’t let go.
Verb＋だけ＋Verb
だけ shows a limit, and in this expression you make it even more clear that you are not expecting, wanting, or doing any more.
23. このことは両親にも話すだけは話しておいた方がいい。
As for this, it’s best that you at the most talk to your parents.
24. やるだけはやったんだから、静かに結果を待ちましょう。
I’ll wait quietly for the results since I did what I had to do.
25. 言うだけ言ったらすっきりした。
I feel good now that I’ve said (what I had to say).
26. まあ聞くだけ聞いてくれ。
Come on, at least listen to what I have to say.
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Potential + だけ
With the potential form of the verb, it can be translated in this way as “as much as…”
27. できるだけして。
Do as much as possible.
28. 私は走れるだけ走りました。
I ran as much as I could.
なるべく VS できるだけ
Both mean “if possible/as (much) as possible”. なるべく is (somewhat) formal. できるだけ can be followed by の. To use it with なるべく , you have to use the rare なるたけ/なるだけ.
29. なるべくタバコをすうな。
As much as possible/if possible, do not smoke.
Grammar Note: な in the above sentence creates the negative imperative.
30. なるべく午後に来てほしいです。
I would like you to come during the afternoon if possible.
31. できるだけ多くの金が必要！
I need as much money as possible!
32. できるだけ早く帰ってください。
Please come home as soon as possible.
ただ
As an adverb, ただ means “just what you’re doing”. For example, “you’re just hoping that you get a good grade in Japanese class”. Other synonyms include 専ら and ひたすら. Or, it may stress that there’s “nothing else” or that there is “merely” something. Other words for this include たった and わずかに.
ただ…だけ means “mere(ly)”, but だけ isn’t necessary. 専ら ≒ “entirely”, so there is no need for だけ. Neither is there a need for it with ひたすら. ほんの僅か…だけ = “just a few”. たった comes from ただ to mean “mere” and is frequently used with だけ.
Examples
33. たった一つ
Just one
34. たった今消えたんだよ。
It disappeared just now!
35. ただいま
I’m home!
Culture Note: Whenever you come home, you say ただいま. People there will response with お帰り（なさい） “welcome home.” The added part makes it polite.
37. もっぱらの噂だよ。
It’s widely rumored.
38. ただの理由で
With just a mere excuse
39. それは単に程度の問題じゃないか？
Isn’t that just a problem of degree?
Word Note: 単に means “purely/simply/merely” and is also often used with だけ.
40. 単に私見を述べただけだよ。
I merely stated my own opinion.
Nuance Note: Simply as in “easily” can be 単純に, 簡単に, 単に, etc. with just slight differences. The first shows a heavy emphasis on simplifying a process down. The second shows more so the easy, and the latter emphasizes on the extent of the matter.
41. 東京までたった10キロです。
It’s just 10 kilometers to Tokyo.
42. あられがほんのわずか降っただけだ。(Somewhat written style)
There was only a light amount of hail that fell.
43. ほんの一度だけ
Just one time
Word Note: ほんの is an attributive phrase that means “mere”. ほんの少し means “just a little.” The word gives the sense that there really is nothing else beyond it. It can also be written as 本の.
44. ただの風邪でしょう。
It’s probably just a cold.
Word Note: 風邪 means “cold” but comes from and is pronounced just like 風 (wind).
45 [徒・只]より高いものはない。
Nothing costs more than what is given to us.
46. 道はただひとつ。
There is but one way to live.
47. 美はただ皮一枚。
Beauty is but skin-deep.
ただでは in a negative sentence means that something serious is to happen.
48. ただではおかないぞ！
You’ll pay for this!