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だけあって
N2 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today
dake atte
being the case; precisely because
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🃏 Flashcard
だけあって
dake atte
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being the case; precisely because
N2
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level N2
Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage
Reading dake atte
Post ID 51003
Patterns today 0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes

being the case; precisely because

📖 How to use it

This pattern expresses that something is as expected given a certain characteristic or situation, often implying praise or justification.

Attaches to Attach to the plain form of a noun (including な-adjective stem plus な), or to the plain past tense, or to the dictionary/plain form of verbs and い-adjectives. For nouns and な-adjectives, use なだけあって. For verbs and い-adjectives, use plain past ただけあって or present plain だけあって, but past is common.

だけあって means 'precisely because' or 'being the case that', and it points out that the result is natural or expected given the reason. It often carries a nuance of appreciation or admiration. For example, if someone is famous, you expect their performance to be good. You can use it to explain why something is so good, bad, or impressive based on a known fact.

Use it when you want to link a cause (the basis) to an effect that matches it. The cause is usually something notable: a person's position, experience, or quality. The effect is often something you have directly observed or experienced. The pattern is slightly formal and more common in written Japanese, but it can be used in speaking when you want to sound thoughtful or emphatic.

A typical structure is: X は [reason] だけあって、[result]. For example, さすがに ('as expected') is often used together with this pattern to strengthen the nuance: さすがにプロだけあって、歌が上手い。

彼は長年日本に住んでいただけあって、日本語がとても上手だ。
Kare wa naganen Nihon ni sunde ita dake atte, Nihongo ga totemo jouzu da.
Having lived in Japan for many years, his Japanese is very good.
このレストランは有名なシェフがいるだけあって、どの料理もおいしい。
Kono resutoran wa yuumei na shefu ga iru dake atte, dono ryouri mo oishii.
This restaurant has a famous chef, so every dish is delicious.
彼女は子供の頃からピアノを練習してきただけあって、演奏が素晴らしい。
Kanojo wa kodomo no koro kara piano o renshuu shite kita dake atte, ensou ga subarashii.
She has practiced piano since childhood, so her performance is wonderful.
Not だけに だけに has a similar meaning but often implies a negative or unexpected result despite the reason (e.g., 有名なだけに、失敗すると目立つ). だけあって usually points out a positive or expected result, but it can be used for negative if the result is natural. Also, だけあって often works with さすがに.
Register Neutral to formal, used in both speaking and writing; slightly more common in written or thoughtful contexts.
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だけあって
📚 How to Master This Pattern
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Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat だけあって three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
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Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using だけあって. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern だけあって mean? ▼
Being the case; precisely because
What JLPT level is だけあって? ▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use だけあって in a sentence? ▼
Attach だけあって (dake atte) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is だけあって formal or casual Japanese? ▼
だけあって is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember だけあって long-term? ▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.