particle N2 common writtenliterary
のみ — only / merely
のみ
Meaning
- only ~ / merely ~ / nothing but ~ — the formal/written equivalent of だけ
Key sentence
会員のみ入場できます。
Only members may enter.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + のみ | 現金 → 現金のみ |
| Verb / adjective (plain) | plain form + のみ | 待つ → 待つのみ |
When: Written and formal — notices, contracts, formal prose. Spoken Japanese uses だけ.
Examples
この資料は社内でのみ使用できる。
This material may be used only within the company.
今はただ結果を待つのみだ。
Now there is nothing to do but wait for the result.
申し込みは本日のみ受け付けます。
Applications are accepted today only.
残されたのは後悔のみであった。
All that remained was regret.
Easily confused with
Notes
- The related form のみならず means 'not only ~ (but also)' — a separate pattern built on this particle.
See のみ in real sentences
Jengo shows のみ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSee also
Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.