Page 310 - Basic Japanese

other than ga or o, then both dake and the particle occur—

usually in that order. Here are some examples of dake:

Kinō no ban wa watashi dake eiga o mi ni itta n desu.
Last night I was the only one who went to see
the movie.

Kono zasshi dake yomimasen

deshita.

This is the only magazine I didn’t read.

Kore wa sensei dake ni itte kudasai.
Please tell this only to the teacher.

Dake sometimes occurs after a verb or adjective with the

meaning ‘as much as’: hoshii dake ‘as much as you desire (as
is desired),’ dekiru dake ‘as much as possible.’ Examples:

Dekiru dake Atta dake

hayaku tabemashita.

kakimashita.

I wrote as fast as I I ate everything there
could. was.