modality N2 uncommon casualwritten
〜だけましだ — at least ~ is better (than the worse alternative)
〜だけましだ ・ だけましだ
Builds on 〜だけ
Meaning
- at least ~ is better / ~ is a small mercy / it could be worse, but at least ~ — a bad situation redeemed by one point that makes it preferable to something worse
Key sentence
給料は安いが、残業がないだけましだ。
The pay is low, but at least there's no overtime — that's something.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / い-adjective (plain) | V / Aい(plain) + だけましだ | 雨が降らないだけましだ |
| な-adjective / Noun | な-adj + な + だけましだ | 静かなだけましだ |
Examples
試合に負けたけれど、けがをしなかっただけましだ。
We lost the match, but at least nobody got hurt — that's something.
狭い部屋だが、駅に近いだけましだ。
It's a cramped room, but at least it's close to the station.
When you can't use it
- The background is a bad or unwelcome situation; だけましだ singles out the one redeeming point. It would be odd after a wholly good state of affairs — there has to be a worse alternative being compared against.
Easily confused with
ましだ Bare ましだ just says one option 'is preferable' to another. だけ pins down the single redeeming point ('at least ~') that makes an otherwise-bad situation better. 〜だけ(のこと)だ Both downplay, but differently: だけのことだ = 'it's simply a matter of ~ (no big deal)'; だけましだ = 'at least ~ is the saving grace (could be worse).'
See 〜だけましだ in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜だけましだ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.