connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜だけでも — even just ~ / at least ~
〜だけでも ・ だけでも
Builds on 〜だけ
Meaning
- even just ~ / at least ~ — presents a minimum that would still be worthwhile or acceptable
Key sentence
顔を出すだけでもいい。
Even just showing your face is fine.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (plain) / Noun | V(plain) + だけでも; N + だけでも | 聞くだけでも / 一日だけでも |
Examples
一目だけでも会いたい。
I want to see you, even just for a glance.
気持ちだけでもありがたいです。
Even just the thought is something I'm grateful for.
水だけでも飲んでおきなさい。
At least drink some water.
Easily confused with
〜だけで だけで says one thing alone already suffices to cause a result (押すだけで動く). だけでも concedes a minimum — 'even if it's only this much, it's still worth something' (押すだけでもやってみて). 〜だけは だけでも offers a minimum as acceptable ('even just ~ is fine'). だけは singles out one thing as non-negotiable, the thing you must secure no matter what (これだけはやる = 'this one thing at least, I will do').
See 〜だけでも in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜だけでも the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in Jengo