English–Japanese
“only” in Japanese
How to say “only” in Japanese
“Only” in Japanese is だけ (dake).
Marks a boundary around one person, thing, amount, or action and excludes what lies beyond it.
Example sentences with だけ
私は水だけ飲みます。watashi wa mizu da ke no mi ma su
I drink only water.
この箱には本だけが入っています。ko no bako ni wa hon da ke ga hai tte i ma su
There are only books in this box.
Tips for using だけ
- The particle だけ (dake) usually follows the word or phrase it limits, so its position helps show the scope of "only."
Other Japanese words for “only”
私の唯一の趣味は読書です。watashi no yui itsu no shu mi wa doku sho de su
My only hobby is reading.
今日はたった二人が来ました。kyō wa ta tta futa ri ga ki ma shi ta
Only two people came today.
私は水しか飲みません。watashi wa mizu shi ka no mi ma se n
I drink only water.
水のみです。mizu no mi de su
It is only water.
費用は僅々千円です。hi yō wa kin kin sen en de su
The cost is only one thousand yen.
猫は魚ばかり食べます。neko wa sakana ba ka ri ta be ma su
The cat eats only fish.
この店は現金オンリーです。ko no mise wa gen kin o n rī de su
This store is cash only.