The grammar particle だけ (dake) is used in Japanese to indicate “only” or “just”. It is used to indicate a limit or extent to which something occurs or exists. The particle is often used with nouns or verbs, indicating that there is only a specific amount or degree of the thing or action described.
The basic pattern for using だけ is:
[Noun/Verb Phrase] + だけ
Here are some examples:
私は一日にコーヒーを一杯だけ飲みます。
I only drink one cup of coffee a day.このクーポンは、一回しか使えません。
This coupon can only be used once.あのレストランのメニューは、肉料理だけです。
The menu at that restaurant only has meat dishes.彼女は、勉強する時間が一時間だけあります。
She has only one hour to study.彼は、昨日だけ休みました。
He only took yesterday off.
In each of these examples, だけ (dake) is used to indicate the extent or limit of something.
It is important to note that だけ can also be used in comparative constructions to indicate that something is “just” or “only” a little bit more or less than something else:
この部屋は、前の部屋より広いだけです。
This room is only a little bit wider than the previous room.
In these examples, だけ is used to indicate that the difference between two things is only a little bit more or less.