だけでJust by, Just with

Structure

Verb + だけで
Noun + だけで

Details

About だけで

だけで is a combination of the adverbial particle だけ, and the case marking particleで. This expression is regularly thought of as meaning 'just by (A), (B)'. However, the literal translation is a bit closer to 'with only (A), (B)'. This reflects the で particle's standard usage of showing a 'tool' that is being used to achieve a certain result.

To use だけで, simply attach it to the end of any (non ます) form of verb, or noun.

Fun Fact

だけ differs from しか in one very important way. だけ highlights that there is/was more than one option, but that only one thing was chosen/used. However, しか implies that there is only one possible option to begin with.

Synonyms

Examples

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パーティーに行(い)くだけで楽(たの)しい。

Just (by) going to a party is fun.

顔(かお)を見(み)ただけで、彼(かれ)はいい人(ひと)だと分(わ)かった。

I could tell he was a good person just by his face.

一緒(いっしょ)に時間(じかん)を過(す)ごすだけで、仲良(なかよ)くなりました。

We became good friends just by spending time together.

彼(かれ)を見(み)ただけで性格(せいかく)が悪(わる)いと分(わ)かった。

Just by looking at him I determined that he had a bad personality.

家族(かぞく)と一緒(いっしょ)に居(い)るだけで、幸(しあわ)せ。

Just by being with my family I am happy.

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だけで – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

eefara
Hmm. So if you changed the sentence to
見舞いに行くだけいいよ。, how would that change the meaning? Would that be ungrammatical now?
mrnoone
だけいい can be used in some context but will mean a little bit different thing. While Aだけでいい will mean that something is good enough and nothing else is needed,
Aだけいい will mean that the situation is not good, but A is better than nothing (or better than some other situation that is mentioned). Basically comparison.
You can also say the same thing using だけまし.

たとえ５分しかいなくても、来るだけいいよ。
Coming even if just for 5 minutes is better than nothing.

あの生徒は見舞いに来るだけいいよ。他の生徒はひとりも来ないんだから。
deltacat3

そういうことを言ってくれるだけで、君は優しいと分かる。
Just by you saying that I know that you are nice.

Why is 優しい marked with と? Is this a quotation of sorts?