LEARN + JAPANESE / Note 101 JLPT N5
Just This Much (だけ)
だけ attaches directly to a noun, quantity, or particle and marks a plain limit, “only this much, nothing more.” Unlike some other “only” words you’ll meet later, だけ carries no judgment at all, it’s just a neutral fact about quantity.
I only ate vegetables.
I only understand a little Japanese.
In Real Life
だけ works with either a positive or negative verb, whichever the sentence needs, and it just states a limit without implying complaint or surprise the way some other “only” expressions do later on.
I have exactly one friend.
I only drank one beer.
In Real Life
だけ can also attach after a particle, 田中さんにだけ会いました, “I only met with Tanaka,” stacking neatly onto に, と, or から without changing their meaning, it just narrows the scope down to that one thing.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| vegetable | |
| vocabulary word | |
| apple | |
| family | |
| to consult, discuss | |
| door | |
| dormitory | |
| to live, reside | |
| wallet | |
| beer | |
| building | |
| outside | |
| one time | |
| Kyoto | |
| as much as possible | |
| to memorize | |
| to limit | |
| degree, extent | |
| a little | |
| except, other than |