Noun だけ〜
〜dake
JLPT N5 Neutral
Formation
Noun + だけ, Verb-casual + だけ, い-Adjective + だけ, な-Adjective-な + だけ
Indicates 'only', 'just', or 'merely'.
When to use
Simple, neutral "only/just" - the everyday default for stating a plain restriction.
Explanation
The Noun だけ grammar point is used to emphasize the idea of 'only', 'just', or 'merely' in a sentence. It can be attached to nouns, verbs, い-adjectives, and な-adjectives to show this emphasis. This grammar point is commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese.
Example sentences
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I only drank coffee and went home.
Koohii dake nonde, kaerimashita.
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I only read twenty pages of this book.
Kono hon wa nijuu peeji dake yonda.
彼女はとても速いですが、走るだけでなく、考えるのも速いです。
She is very fast, not only at running but also at thinking.
Kanojo wa totemo hayai desu ga, hashiru dake denaku, kangaeru no mo hayai desu.
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This room is a place only for sleeping.
Kono heya wa neru dake no basho desu.
Exclusivity (Only / Nothing But)
- Noun しか~ないNoun shika~naiN4Expresses 'only', 'nothing but', or 'no other'.
- ~だけしか~dake shikaN3Emphasizes the scarcity or insufficiency of something…
- Noun ばかり〜bakariN4Expresses 'only', 'nothing but', 'always', or 'just'.
- ~に過ぎない〜ni suginaiN2Expresses that something is 'just' or 'nothing more than'…
- ~に限り〜ni kagiriN2Expresses limitation; 'only', 'limited to', 'exclusive to'.
- ~にほかならない〜ni hoka naranaiN2Express that something is 'nothing but' or 'none other…
- ~しかない〜shika naiN3Express the idea of 'only', 'no other option but'…
- ~ばかりだ〜bakari daN2Express a continuing state or negative tendency; 'just'…
- Noun を おいて他に Verb ない〜wo oite hoka ni〜naiN1Means 'apart from ~ there's nothing else,' implying the…
- ~のは Noun ぐらいのものだ〜no wa Noun gurai no mono daN1Conveys that 'only (Noun) is the case' or 'nothing but…
Corpus examples (60)
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He is but a fair weather friend.
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I would do anything but that.
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She screams if you even touch her funny bone.
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The only room available is a double.
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All he can do is to support himself.
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Tom was just taking pictures.
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Just between you and me, do you love my sister?
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Eat not only fish, but also meat.
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I don't know what you look like, but I love that you're there.
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Ziri was crazy. Rima could see it in his eyes.
トムは目立ちたいだけだよ。
Tom just wants to show off.
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Sandra eats all Japanese food except natto.
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Man is the only animal that laughs.
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We have to avoid a conflict as far as possible.
コンピューターのマニュアルを読むだけでは所詮畳の上の水練だ。
Just reading a computer manual is like practicing swimming on dry land.
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Excuse me, would you show me how to use the washing machine?
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Do you think you could make a little less noise?
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This is all the money that I have now.
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Will you tell me the way to the station?
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How much cake can you eat?
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As head of the sales team she reports only to the managing director.
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I don't smoke or drink. I just do pills.
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Not only did he teach school, but he wrote novels.
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Tom did it simply for the money.
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Can you please close that window?