At a glance
～だけしか means "only" or "nothing but". It stresses that an amount is small or not enough. It is followed by a negative verb.
[Noun / Number] + だけしか + [Negative verb]
財布に千円だけしかありません。 I only have 1,000 yen in my wallet.
How to form it
| Attaches to | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | 水だけしか飲みません。 | I drink nothing but water. |
| Number + counter | 学生が一人だけしかいません。 | There's only one student. |
| Verb (dictionary form) | 見るだけしかできません。 | I can only look. |
- The verb after だけしか must be negative: ません, ない, なかった, ませんでした.
- が and を drop before だけしか: 水だけしか, not 水をだけしか.
- It is used in both polite and casual speech.