だけ: Saying 'Only' and 'Just' in Japanese (N5 Grammar)
What it means
だけ limits something to one item, amount, or action — English "only" or "just." You place it right after whatever you're limiting, with no extra particle needed. It works on nouns (水だけ = only water), on quantities (三回だけ = just three times), and on verbs in plain form (見るだけ = just look, no buying). The tone is plain and factual.
ヤッタンは水だけ飲みます。
ヤッタンは みずだけ のみます。
Yattan drinks only water.
パーティーにヤッタンだけ来ました。
パーティーに ヤッタンだけ きました。
Only Yattan came to the party.
見るだけです。買いません。
みるだけです。かいません。
I'm just looking. I won't buy anything.
見るだけ = just look — verb plain form + だけ.
How to form it
だけ attaches directly to the word it limits. Nothing changes shape — you just add it on.
| Attach to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | noun + だけ | 水だけ = only water |
| Number / quantity | number + だけ | 一つだけ = just one |
| Verb (plain form) | verb + だけ | 見るだけ = just look |
| い-adjective | adjective + だけ | 安いだけ = only cheap |
With nouns
This is the most common use: name a thing or person, add だけ, and you've said "only that one."
モチだけが知っています。
モチだけが しっています。
Only Mochi knows.
だけ + が — here が stays for emphasis.
弟はゲームだけします。
おとうとは ゲームだけ します。
My little brother only plays games.
What happens to を and が
When the noun would normally take を (object) or が (subject), that particle is usually dropped after だけ. So 水を飲む becomes 水だけ飲む — the を quietly disappears. The same goes for が in many sentences. Other particles like に, で, and と combine instead, sitting before or after だけ: 友だちとだけ話す ("talk only with friends").
ヤッタンはサラダだけ食べました。
ヤッタンは サラダだけ たべました。
Yattan ate only the salad.
サラダを → サラダだけ; the を drops out.
With numbers and verbs
Add だけ to a quantity to mean "just that many," and to a plain-form verb to mean "just do (and no more)."
切手を一枚だけください。
きってを いちまいだけ ください。
Please give me just one stamp.
先生は少しだけ休みました。
せんせいは すこしだけ やすみました。
The teacher rested just a little.
ヤッタンは寝るだけです。
ヤッタンは ねるだけです。
Yattan just sleeps.
寝る + だけ = does nothing but sleep.
だけ vs しか〜ない
Both translate as "only," but they feel different. だけ simply states the limit and stays positive: 水だけ飲む ("I drink only water"). しか〜ない always pairs with a negative verb and carries a stronger, more limiting nuance — closer to "nothing but" or "only … and that's not much." So 水しか飲まない literally says "I don't drink anything but water," which can sound like a complaint or a shortage. Use だけ when the fact is neutral; reach for しか〜ない when you want to stress that nothing else is there.
Common mistakes
- Adding を or が back in. After だけ those particles usually drop: say 水だけ飲む, not 水をだけ飲む.
- Using a negative verb with だけ. だけ takes a positive verb. The negative pattern is しか〜ない (水しか飲まない), not 水だけ飲まない for "only."
- Putting だけ in the wrong spot. It goes right after the limited word: ヤッタンだけ来た ("only Yattan came"), not だけヤッタン来た.
- Forgetting plain form before だけ on verbs. Use the dictionary/plain form: 見るだけ, not 見ますだけ.
Quick recap
- だけ = only / just; attach it directly to a noun, number, or plain-form verb.
- を and が usually drop after だけ; に・で・と combine with it.
- Verb + だけ = "just do (and nothing more)": 見るだけ.
- For a stronger, negative "nothing but," use しか〜ない instead.
Your turn
Choose the correct use of だけ (and tell it apart from しか〜ない).
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What does だけ mean?
It means 'only' or 'just.' You attach it directly to a noun, a number, or a plain-form verb: 水だけ ('only water'), 一つだけ ('just one'), 見るだけ ('just look').
Does を or が stay after だけ?
Usually no. The object marker を and the subject marker が typically drop after だけ — 水を飲む becomes 水だけ飲む. Particles like に, で, and と combine with だけ instead.
What's the difference between だけ and しか〜ない?
Both mean 'only.' だけ is neutral and uses a positive verb (水だけ飲む). しか〜ない always uses a negative verb and feels stronger and more limiting (水しか飲まない = 'nothing but water').
Can I put だけ after a verb?
Yes — use the plain form: 見るだけ ('just look'), 寝るだけ ('just sleep'). It means doing that action and nothing more.