connective N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten
〜だけに — precisely because ~
〜だけに ・ だけに
Builds on 〜だけ
Meaning
- precisely because ~ / given that ~, all the more — a reason that makes the result especially strong, natural, or pronounced
Key sentence
期待していただけに、失望も大きかった。
Precisely because I'd had my hopes up, the disappointment was all the greater.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / い-adjective (plain) | V / Aい(plain) + だけに | 苦労しただけに |
| Noun / な-adjective | N(+である) / な-adj + な + だけに | プロだけに / 有名なだけに |
Examples
彼はプロだけに、仕事が速い。
Precisely because he's a pro, his work is fast.
若いだけに、回復も早い。
Being young, he recovers all the quicker.
When you can't use it
- The result is heightened by the reason ('all the more'). Unlike だけあって, the outcome can be negative as well as positive — 期待しただけに、がっかりした works fine.
Easily confused with
〜だけあって だけあって states a fitting, positive result ('as you'd expect'). だけに emphasizes that the reason makes the result extra strong ('all the more'), and freely allows negative outcomes too. 〜からこそ からこそ is emphatic 'precisely because' as a pure reason. だけに adds the sense that the consequence is intensified or especially fitting given that condition.
See 〜だけに in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜だけに the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.