～だけ
only / just
～だけ is one of the most useful little words in Japanese. Put it after a noun, a number, or a verb, and it draws a limit: “only this, and nothing more”.
For English speakers it works just like “only” or “just”, and it simply follows the word it limits.
1. Only this many, only this thing
Use だけ after a number or a noun to limit an amount or a choice.
一つだけください。
“Please give me just one.”
- 一つ（ひとつ）= one (thing)
- だけ = only, just
- ください = please give me
2. Just doing something
だけ can also follow a verb to say that someone is doing that action and nothing else, a very handy phrase in shops.
見ているだけです。
“I'm just looking.”
- 見ている（みている）= am looking
- だけ = just, only
- です = polite “to be”
How to form it
Noun / number / verb plain form + だけ
- 一つ（ひとつ）= one → 一つだけ（ひとつだけ）= just one
- 水（みず）= water → 水だけ（みずだけ）= only water
- 見る（みる）= to look → 見るだけ（みるだけ）= just looking
Key idea
～だけ sets a limit: only X, and nothing more. It simply states what is included, without adding any special emotion or judgment.
Built on the same stem
Updated .