だけ
🃏 Flashcard
だけ
dake
Tap to reveal usage
only; just; as much as
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
dake
Post ID
50604
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
only; just; as much as
📖 How to use it
だけ marks the limit of what is included, meaning only or just that thing and nothing more.
Attaches to
Attach だけ directly after a noun, a noun phrase, or a verb in its plain past or non-past form. For verbs, use the short form (dictionary form or past tense). For adjectives, use the plain form of な-adjectives or い-adjectives.
だけ is a particle that limits the scope of what you are talking about. If you say これだけ, it means only this thing, not anything else. You can put it after nouns, verbs in their plain form, and adjectives. For verbs, the plain form can be present or past: 食べるだけ (only eat) or 食べただけ (only ate). For な-adjectives, you use the plain form: 静かなだけ means 'only quiet' or 'merely quiet' (e.g., 静かなだけの部屋). For い-adjectives, you use the plain form: 高いだけ (only expensive). Note that だけ can also mean 'as much as' in a different pattern, like 欲しいだけ (as much as I want), but the core meaning is 'only.'
コーヒーだけ飲みます。
Kōhī dake nomimasu.
I drink only coffee.
昨日は三時間だけ寝ました。
Kinō wa san-jikan dake nemashita.
Yesterday I slept only three hours.
これだけください。
Kore dake kudasai.
Please give me just this.
Not しか～ない
だけ is positive and does not require a negative verb: 猫だけいます (There is only a cat). しか requires a negative verb: 猫しかいません (There is nothing but a cat). Both mean 'only,' but the structure differs.
Register
だけ is neutral and can be used in both speaking and writing, casual and formal contexts.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
だけ
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat だけ three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using だけ. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern だけ mean?
▼
Only; just; as much as
What JLPT level is だけ?
▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use だけ in a sentence?
▼
Attach だけ (dake) 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 formal or casual Japanese?
▼
だけ is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember だけ 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.