All the more because: 〜だけに
plain form (N / な-adj な) + だけに
Plain form + だけに: “precisely because…, all the more”; the situation amplifies the result, positive or negative (often a disappointed expectation).
In short
〜だけに presents a situation that makes the result all the stronger: “precisely because…”, “all the more since…”. The result can be positive or negative. It's often used for a disappointed expectation (期待していただけに、がっかりした) or for an emotion heightened by the circumstances. With a status, it can also take the meaning of だけあって. Neutral register, rather written.
- 期待していただけに、負けたときのショックは大きかった。きたいしていただけに、まけたときのしょっくはおおきかった。I'd had such high hopes that losing hit me all the harder.
- 初めての海外旅行だけに、出発前から緊張している。はじめてのかいがいりょこうだけに、しゅっぱつまえからきんちょうしている。It's my first trip abroad, so I'm nervous even before leaving.
- ベテランの医者だけに、判断が早い。べてらんのいしゃだけに、はんだんがはやい。Being an experienced doctor, he makes decisions very quickly.
The basics
〜だけに links a situation and a result by saying: “given this situation, the result is all the more…”. The situation acts as an amplifier. The more you hoped, the bigger the disappointment; the longer the effort, the greater the joy.
I'd had such high hopes that losing hit me all the harder.
- verb
- grammatical form
- noun
- adjective
- 毎日練習してきただけに、優勝できたのは本当にうれしい。まいにちれんしゅうしてきただけに、ゆうしょうできたのはほんとうにうれしい。Since we'd trained every single day, winning feels all the sweeter.
How to form it
It's formed like だけあって: plain form, noun without だ, な-adjective with な. You also find それだけに at the start of a sentence: “that's exactly why…”.
| Word | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + だけに | 初めての旅行だけに |
| な-adjective | 〜な + だけに | 大切なだけに |
| い-adjective | 〜い + だけに | 若いだけに |
| Verb | plain form + だけに | 期待していただけに |
| At the start of a sentence | それだけに | それだけに残念だ |
- 大切な取引先だけに、ミスは絶対に許されない。たいせつなとりひきさきだけに、みすはぜったいにゆるされない。They're an important client, so all the more reason not to make a single mistake.
- 彼は本当に真面目な人だった。それだけに、今回の事件はショックだった。かれはほんとうにまじめなひとだった。それだけに、こんかいのじけんはしょっくだった。He was a truly conscientious person. That's exactly why this incident came as such a shock.
Two uses
1) Amplification: the situation makes the result stronger, often against expectations (hope → disappointment) or in the same direction (effort → greater joy). This is the most common use.
2) Fitting a status, like だけあって: ベテランの医者だけに判断が早い. In this case だけあって and だけに are interchangeable, but only だけに accepts a negative result.
- 観光地だけに、何でも値段が高い。かんこうちだけに、なんでもねだんがたかい。It's a tourist spot, so naturally everything is expensive.
だけに, だけあって, からこそ
だけあって only knows the expected positive. からこそ (N3) stresses THE reason: “it's precisely because…, and nothing else”. だけに stresses the intensity of the result instead. And don't confuse it with だけ “only”: 初めてだけに ≠ 初めてだけ.
| Form | Idea | Possible result |
|---|---|---|
| 〜だけに | all the more, given that… | positive or negative |
| 〜だけあって | living up to it, as expected | positive only |
| 〜からこそ | it's precisely because | often positive, the one reason |
- 家族だからこそ、本当のことを言うべきだ。かぞくだからこそ、ほんとうのことをいうべきだ。It's precisely because we're family that we should tell each other the truth.
Common mistakes
- Confusing it with だけ “only”: 期待していただけに doesn't mean “I was only hoping”.
- Replacing だけに with だけあって before a negative result: ×期待しただけあって、がっかりした.
- Forgetting that the second part expresses intensity (an emotion, a strong consequence): a plain neutral statement sounds hollow.
8 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 N2 point is on the Tsurumai Line (Arts and letters) of the Nagoya lines.