〜だけ dake
〜だけ（dake）means “only; just”. 'Dake' follows a noun (or a number-plus-counter phrase) to limit the statement to that item and nothing else, like English 'only'. Formation: N + だけ／数字 + 助数詞 + だけ
only; just
N5Formation
N + だけ／数字 + 助数詞 + だけ
Explanation
'Dake' follows a noun (or a number-plus-counter phrase) to limit the statement to that item and nothing else, like English 'only'. The predicate stays affirmative; the limitation is positive ('only X exists / is the case'), unlike 'shika ... nai' which needs a negative verb.
Examples
Note
Particles like 'wo' often drop before 'dake' (X dake), but 'de', 'ni', etc. may attach after it (dake de, dake ni). 'Dake' = positive 'only'; 'shika...nai' = negative 'only', stronger and more exclusive.
FAQ
〜だけ — what does it mean and how is it used?
only; just. 'Dake' follows a noun (or a number-plus-counter phrase) to limit the statement to that item and nothing else, like English 'only'. The predicate stays affirmative; the limitation is positive ('only X exists / is the case'), unlike 'shika ... nai' which needs a negative verb.
〜だけ — how do you form it?
N + だけ／数字 + 助数詞 + だけ
〜だけ — any usage notes?
Particles like 'wo' often drop before 'dake' (X dake), but 'de', 'ni', etc. may attach after it (dake de, dake ni). 'Dake' = positive 'only'; 'shika...nai' = negative 'only', stronger and more exclusive.