JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N5 grammar · Chapter 6

だけ

Only, just this much

You’ll be able to limit a statement to one thing, saying only this and nothing more.

Illustration of the scene described by I’ll buy only this book.
Read it first

この本ほんだけ買かいます。

kono hon dake kaimasu.

What do you think this sentence means?

I’ll buy only this book.

Why it means that

Limit something to “only”

Use だけ after a word or phrase to limit the statement to that item or amount.

Example

水みずだけ飲のみます。

mizu dake nomimasu.

I will drink only water.

How it is built

Put だけ after what is limited

Place だけ immediately after the noun or quantity that means “only.” Other particles may follow depending on the sentence.

Noun/Amount+だけ
Examples

一ひとつだけください。

hitotsu dake kudasai.

Please give me just one.

今日きょうは日本語にほんごだけ勉強べんきょうします。

kyou wa nihongo dake benkyou shimasu.

Today I will study only Japanese.

田中たなかさんだけ来きました。

tanaka-san dake kimashita.

Only Tanaka came.

Examples

朝あさはコーヒーだけ飲みのみます。

asa wa koohii dake nomimasu.

I only drink coffee in the morning.

今日きょうはパンだけ食べたべました。

kyou wa pan dake tabemashita.

I only ate bread today.

青いあおいシャツだけ洗いあらいました。

aoi shatsu dake araimashita.

I washed only the blue shirt.

10 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.