Only: だけ
N／quantity ＋ だけ
Word + だけ = only that word. It often replaces を and が: 水だけ ください.
In short
だけ comes right after the word it limits: “only, just”. It often replaces は, が or を, but can also be followed by them: これだけを、わたしだけが.
- 水だけ ください。mizu dake kudasaiJust water, please.
- ひらがなだけ わかります。hiragana dake wakarimasuI only know hiragana.
- 一つだけ 買いました。hitotsu dake kaimashitaI bought just one.
The basics
だけ means “only, just”. It comes right after the word it limits: a noun, a quantity, a person. English “only” usually comes before; だけ always comes after.
- 水だけ ください。mizu dake kudasaiJust water, please.
- 一つだけ 買いました。hitotsu dake kaimashitaI bought just one.
With particles
だけ often replaces を and が. With に, で, へ, から, it usually goes before or after them depending on the emphasis: 東京だけで (only in Tokyo).
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ひらがなだけ わかります | I can only read hiragana |
| わたしだけ 行きませんでした | I was the only one who didn't go |
| 日曜日だけ 休みです | I only have Sundays off |
A little, just a little
すこしだけ (just a little) and ちょっとだけ (just a tiny bit) are very common in speech.
- すこしだけ わかります。sukoshi dake wakarimasuI understand just a little.
Common mistakes
- Putting だけ before the word, as in English: “だけ 水” is wrong, it's 水だけ.
- Keeping を as well as だけ when it isn't needed: 水だけを ください is possible, but 水だけ ください is more natural.
- Mixing it up with しか (which needs a negative, covered at N4).
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Oedo Line (Daily life) of the Tokyo subway.