JapaneseParticles, Sentence Structure The Japanese focus だけ[dake], しか[shika], ばかり[bakari] are all used in contexts where you might use limiting words like “only,” “just,” or “anything but,” in English. Here’s a quick summary of the differences between these words:
だけ[dake] is fairly neutral, like “only.”
しか[shika] only works in negative sentences, much like “anything but,” though we often translate such sentences using other words.
ばかり[bakari] is a little more like “just,” but it is a little more emphatic, marking that something is happening so much that it’s basically exclusively what happens.
In this post, we’ll look at each of these focus particles, and then compare their usage, side-by-side, to help you master the differences between them. Let’s have a look!
How to use だけ [dake]?
The focus particle だけ[dake] is used to indicate that a limit is imposed on something, as “only…,” “just…,” “...alone,” or “merely…” do in English. This is used in a broad range of contexts. For example, we can use it in both and negative sentences like this:
マリアさんだけいました。
Maria san dake imashita.
→ Maria was there alone.
マリアさんだけいませんでした。
Maria san dake imasendeshita.
→ Maria was the only one absent.
だけ can mark nouns and pronouns, as in the above examples, but it can also mark other elements such as , , and quantifiers (i.e., expressions that indicate quantity as in “once” or “a little”). Here are a couple of examples.
その映画はレビューを読んだだけです。まだ見ていません。
Sono eiga wa rebyū o yonda dake desu. Mada mite imasen.
As for that movie, I only read reviews. I haven’t seen it yet.
沖縄へは一度だけ行ったことがある。
Okinawa e wa ichido dake itta koto ga aru.
I have been to Okinawa just once.
Where to put だけ in a sentence?
As seen in the examples above, だけ[dake] generally comes right after the element it marks or sets off. However, there are some rules to learn about using だけ alongside other particles:
When setting off a noun phrase that ends with the case particles が[ga] or を[o], the particle だけ will either replace them or precede them.
focus particlecase particle
ジョンさんだけ (が) 来ました。
Jon san dake (ga) kimashita.
スーパーでガムだけ (を) 買いました。
Sūpā de gamu dake (o) kaimashita.
I bought only a pack of chewing gum at the supermarket.
When setting off noun phrases that end with a case particle such as に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], or から[kara], it can come either before or after the other particle like this:
focus particlecase particle
うちの猫は母だけに甘える。
Uchi no neko wa haha dake ni amaeru.
Our cat only fawns on my mother.
うちの猫は母にだけ甘える。
Uchi no neko wa haha ni dake amaeru.
Our cat fawns only on my mother.
→ This places slightly more emphasis on the fact that the speaker’s mother is the only recipient of their cat’s love.
When だけ[dake] sets off a noun phrase that ends with the means/method marker で[de](by means of), the position of だけ[dake] makes a big difference in the meaning! Compare the following two sentences:
focus particleで [de]
空港まではバスだけで行けます。
Kūkō made wa basu dake de ikemasu.
We can get to the airport using just the bus.
→ The bus will take you straight to the airport. There is no need to change to any other transportation.
空港まではバスでだけ行けます。
Kūkō made wa basu de dake ikemasu.
We can get to the airport only by bus.
→ The bus is the only transportation available to the airport. There is no other option.
How to use しか [shika]?
Like だけ[dake], the focus particle しか[shika] limits something, but しか[shika] is only used in negative sentences. It is used sort of like “(not) anything but” and similar phrases in English. For example:
focus particlenegation
姉は推理小説しか読みません。
Ane wa suiri shōsetsu shika yomimasen.
My elder sister doesn't read anything but mysteries.
こうなったらもう行くしかない。
Kō nattara mō iku shika nai.
In a situation like this, there is not any other choice but to go.
However, sometimes it may be hard to translate sentences with しか into English directly, so you’ll end up using other translations, like “only.”
focus particlenegation
ミーティングには３人しか来なかった。
Miitingu ni wa san nin shika konakatta.
Only three people came to the meeting.
lit. There didn't come anyone but three people to the meeting.
→ No が!
Where to put しか in a sentence?
Just like だけ[dake], しか[shika] comes directly after the element it marks. However, it interacts slightly differently with other particles:
When setting off a noun phrase that ends with the case particles が[ga] or を[o], you’ll always use しか[shika] to replace them like this:
ジョンさんしか来ませんでした。
Jon san shika kimasendeshita.
Nobody but John came.
lit. There didn’t come anyone but John.
→ No が!
スーパーでガムしか買いませんでした。
Sūpā de gamu shika kaimasendeshita.
I didn’t buy anything but a pack of chewing gum at the supermarket.
When setting off noun phrases that end with a case particle such as に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], or から[kara], place しか[shika] right after the said particle like this:
focus particlecase particle
空港へはバスでしか行けません。
Kūkō e wa basu de shika ikemasen.
There isn’t a way to get to the airport anyway but by bus.
そのことは親友にしか教えていない。
Sono koto wa shinyū ni shika oshiete inai.
I haven’t told anyone but my best friend about that.
How to use the sequence だけしか [dake shika]〜ない [X nai] ?
You can use だけ[dake] and しか[shika] together as a sequence: だけしか[dake shika] in a negative sentence, essentially as an emphatic equivalent to しか alone. You might think of this as “(not) anything else but…” or something similar.
だけしかnegation
冷蔵庫の中にはケチャップのびんだけしかない。
Reizōko no naka ni wa kechappu no bin dake shika nai.
There is not anything else but a bottle of ketchup in the refrigerator.
Though you can use you can usually replace しか[shika] with だけしか[dake shika], don’t use だけしか[dake shika] to replace だけ[dake]. Doing so will completely change the meaning of the sentence!
How to use ばかり [bakari]?
The particle ばかり[bakari] is used in several of the contexts where you might use the word “just” in English.
ばかり[bakari] can mean “only,” as in “it’s just a cat.”
ばかり[bakari] can be used to discuss recent past actions, as in “I just got here 10 minutes ago.”
Here, we’ll focus on how to use ばかり[bakari] as a limiter, like “only,” but check out our post on discussing back-to-back actions in Japanese to learn more about its use as a time marker!
We mostly use ばかり[bakari] in the following two instances:
When you want to differentiate or highlight one thing from a well-defined group of others, e.g. “only my mom cooks this well (nobody else)” or “only Mike’s car (and nobody else’s) is red.”
When something is exclusive to the point of excess. For instance, when someone eats the same meal over-and-over again and it seems like they do nothing else.
ばかり[bakari] cannot be a limiter in negative sentences!
ばかり [bakari]negative verb
❌ パーティーでは寿司ばかり食べなかった。
Pātii de wa sushi bakari tabenakatta.
Intended: It was only sushi that I didn’t eat.
To differentiate one from the others
ばかり[bakari] can set off a noun or pronoun to differentiate it from other things in a particular group:
うちではいつも私ばかり叱られる。
Uchi de wa itsumo watashi bakari shikarareru.
Always, only I (and not other family members) get scolded in our household.
ばかり can also mark non-nouns, like and , to differentiate one action or description from other possible actions or descriptions.
verb (dictionary form)particle
その子は泣くばかりで、わけを話してくれなかった。
Sono ko wa naku bakari de, wake o hanashite kurenakatta.
The child just cried and didn’t tell me the reason.
adjectiveparticle
この店の服は高いばかりで、デザインも質もたいしたことない。
Kono mise no fuku wa takai bakari de, dezain mo shitsu mo taishita koto nai.
The clothes sold in this store are just expensive; neither their design nor their quality are extraordinary.
Exclusive to the point of excess
ばかり[bakari] can highlight a noun, a pronoun, or the te-form of a verb to indicate that the speaker thinks that limiting the highlighted thing is excessive. In this use, ばかり is not quite as literal, and is used like you might use phrases like “it seems like it just…,” or “you’d think that only…”
Let’s see some examples.
nounparticle
このあたりはアパートばかりですね。
Kono atari wa apāto bakari desu ne.
There are only apartment buildings in this area, aren’t there?
→ The speaker is amazed at the density of apartment buildings. There may technically be other kinds of buildings, but the number of apartments seems excessive.
action nounparticle
ジョンはあくびばかりしている。
Jon wa akubi bakari shiteiru.
John has been doing a lot of yawning.
lit. John has been doing just yawning.
→ The speaker thinks it seems like all John does these days is yawn. Technically, he does other things, but the yawning seems excessive.
verb (te-form)particle
となりの猫はいつも寝てばかりいる。
Tonari no neko wa itsumo nete bakari iru.
My neighbor’s cat is always doing nothing but sleeping.
You’ll often use ばかり this way to complain about something, like when the speaker thinks someone does something too much. In casual conversations, though, you can use ばっかり[bakkari] instead.
うちの子は毎日ビデオゲームばかりしているんですよ。
Uchi no ko wa mainichi bideogēmu bakari shiteiru ndesu yo.
Our child only plays video games every day.
→ The speaker doesn’t like that the child plays video games so much, they think it’s too much.
うそばっかり！ちゃんと見てたんだから。
Uso bakkari! Chanto mitetanda kara.
Only lies! I was watching carefully.
→ The speaker thinks the other person is lying too much.
Where to place ばかり in a sentence
As you can see from the examples above, ばかり[bakari], like other limiting particles, comes directly after the element it modifies. Here’s how it interacts with the case particles:
When setting off a noun phrase that ends with the case particles が[ga] or を[o], ばかり can either replace them or come before them.
focus particlecase particle
コンサートには若い人たちばかり (が) 来た。
Konsāto ni wa, wakai hitotachi bakari (ga) kita.
Only young people came to the concert.
安いので、毎日ラーメンばかり (を) 食べている。
Yasui node, mainichi rāmen bakari (o) tabeteiru.
Since it’s cheap, I eat only ramen every day.
When setting off noun phrases that end with a case particle such as に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], or から[kara], ばかり usually comes after the other particle.
focus particlecase particle
パーティーでは友達とばかり話していた。
Pātii de wa tomodachi to bakari hanashiteita.
At the party, I talked only with my friends.
子どもたちは家の中でばかり遊んでいる。
Kodomo tachi wa ie no naka de bakari asondeiru.
The children are playing only inside the house.
In everyday conversations, you may notice some native speakers use ばかり before another particle as in:
友達ばかりと話していた
tomodachi bakari to hanashiteita
…I talked with just my friends
This is not necessarily wrong, but not as common as the word order presented above.
だけ [dake] vs. しか [shika] vs. ばかり [bakari]
Now that you’ve “met” all three of these words, let’s compare them! Here is a quick summary of how these three differ in meaning:
だけ[dake] means “only” in a neutral way. It expresses a limit, but the speaker isn’t necessarily expressing an opinion on that limit.
しか[shika] means “(not) anything but.” While it is only used in a negative sentence, it also doesn’t express much of an opinion on that limit.
ばかり[bakari] expresses something is happening so much that it’s happening to the exclusion of other things.
Let’s look at a few side-by-side comparisons so you can see these meaning differences as well as some grammatical differences.
What’s the difference between だけ [dake] and しか [shika]?
The difference between だけ[dake] and しか[shika] is very similar to the difference between “only X” and “(not) anything but X” in English:
だけ[dake] is used in sentences that focus on the presence of something:
会議室にはジョンさんだけいました。
Kaigishitsu ni wa Jon san dake imashita.
Only John was in the conference room.
→ John was there (to the exclusion of others).
しか[shika] is used if you’re focusing on the absence of something, with an exception:
会議室にはジョンさんしかいませんでした。
Kaigishitsu ni wa Jon san shika imasendeshita.
Nobody was in the conference room but John.
→ Nobody was there (with John as an exception).
What’s the difference between だけ [dake] and ばかり [bakari]?
The distinction between だけ[dake] and ばかり[bakari] is a little trickier. You can think of the difference like this:
だけ[dake] → only X, and nothing else
ばかり[bakari] → there is a whole lot of X going on (even to the exclusion of other things)
So, だけ[dake] is more neutral, while ばかり[bakari] expresses that something is happening in excess. Let’s look at some examples to illustrate:
Often, the two will have the same literal translation, but the one you use will impact your understanding of how someone feels about what they’re saying:
兄弟3人の中で、いつも私だけ叱られる。
Kyōdai san-nin no naka de, itsumo watashi dake shikarareru.
Among the three siblings, only I get scolded all the time.
→ This states a simple fact.
兄弟3人の中で、いつも私ばかり叱られる。
Kyōdai san-nin no naka de, itsumo watashi bakari shikarareru.
Among the three siblings, only I get scolded all the time.
→ This sounds like a complaint. I think the frequency with which I get scolded is excessive.
Sometimes, it’s inappropriate to use ばかり[bakari], because you’re discussing something that really can’t be understood as excessive.
❌ 昨日はトム君ばかり遊びに来た。
Kinō wa Tom kun bakari asobi ni kita.
Intended: Only Tom came over to play yesterday
→ We can’t use ばかり here, because there’s no real way having Tom come once is “excessive.”
✅ 昨日はトム君だけ遊びに来た。
Kinō wa Tomu kun dake asobi ni kita.
Only Tom came over to play yesterday.
→ You can still use だけ in this context.
However, sometimes a slight change to the context can make using ばかり[bakari] make more sense.
✅ うちにはいつもトム君ばかり遊びに来る。
Uchi ni wa itsumo Tomu kun bakari asobi ni kuru.
It’s always only Tom who comes to our house to play.
→ Here ばかり is allowed because it’s excessive that Tom is always the only one.
We don’t generally use だけ[dake] to express that something is happening “a lot.” It’s a more literal “only” than ばかり[bakari] is:
❌ まだ新人なので、失敗だけしています。
Mada shinjin nanode, shippai dake shiteimasu.
Because I’m still a rookie, I’m only making mistakes.
→ This is only allowed if you literally do nothing else but make mistakes.
✅ まだ新人なので、失敗ばかりしています。
Mada shinjin nanode, shippai bakari shiteimasu.
Because I’m still a rookie, I’m making a lot of mistakes.
We don’t generally use ばかり[bakari] with negative verbs, but you can use だけ[dake] in this context.
negative verb
パーティーでは寿司だけ食べなかった。
Pātii de wa sushi dake tabenakatta.
→ Implies I ate everything but sushi.
❌ パーティーでは寿司ばかり食べなかった。
Pātii de wa sushi bakari tabenakatta.
Intended: I only didn’t eat sushi.
You can use ばかり[bakari] in a negative sentence, though, so long as it’s not part of a with a negative verb.
positive verbnegative clause
パーティーではすしばかり食べたわけではない。
Pātii de wa sushi bakari tabeta wake de wa nai.
It’s not that I only ate sushi at the party.
To sum up
The chart below summarizes how to use だけ[dake], しか[shika], and ばかり[bakari] in Japanese:
| | Replaces or precedes が[ga] or を[o] Before or after other case particles
|
→ exception to a negative | | After other case particles
|
| | Replaces or precedes が[ga] or を[o] After other case particles
|
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Check out our だけ[dake], しか[shika], and ばかり[bakari] activities to test your skills! Happy learning!
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