Meaning
In patterns of desire, potential or a repeated verb, だけ sets a limit — “as much as”: 食べたいだけ “as much as you want”, 持てるだけ “as much as you can carry”, できるだけ “as … as possible”. This is a separate meaning, not a rule for every verb before だけ: compare 見るだけ “just look”.
Formation
- Vたい + だけ + V: 食べたい → 食べたいだけ食べる
- potential Vられる + だけ + V: 持てる → 持てるだけ持つ
- Vる + だけ + V: やる → やるだけやる; 入る → 入るだけ詰める
- できる + だけ (+ adverb／V／の + N) — できるだけ早く; できるだけのこと
- なA + な／いA + だけ — 好き → 好きなだけ; 必要 → 必要なだけ; 欲しい → 欲しいだけ
When to use it
- Where to use it
- When allowing or advising “to the max”: 好きなだけ取って “take as much as you like”, できるだけ早く “as soon as possible”, やるだけやった “I did all I could”.
- Where not to use it
- This is not だけ “only” (一つだけ “just one”). For degree (“so much that…”) use ほど (泣きたいほど嬉しい); for a limit set by an event or a time, use まで (満足するまで).
Examples
20 sentences-
今日は私のおごりだから、食べたいだけ食べてね。
It’s my treat today, so eat as much as you like.
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できるだけ早く、お返事をいただけますか？
Could you please reply as soon as possible?
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袋に入るだけ、りんごを詰めてもいいそうです。
Apparently you can stuff as many apples into the bag as will fit.
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持てるだけ持って帰っていいよ。
Take home as much as you can carry.
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好きなだけ、ここにいていいんですよ。
You can stay here as long as you like.
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やるだけやったんだから、結果は気にしないで。
You did everything you could, so don’t worry about the result.
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泣きたいときは、泣きたいだけ泣けばいい。
When you feel like crying, just cry as much as you need to.
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私もできるだけのことはしますから、安心してください。
I’ll do everything I can as well, so please don’t worry.
12 more examples
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欲しいだけ持っていっていいですか？
May I take as many as I want?
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紙は、必要なだけ使ってください。
Use as much paper as you need.
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休みの日は、寝たいだけ寝ることにしている。
On my days off, I make a point of sleeping as much as I want.
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食べ放題だから、食べられるだけ食べよう。
It's all-you-can-eat, so let's eat as much as we can.
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試験の前に、覚えられるだけ単語を覚えた。
Before the exam, I memorized as many words as I could.
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とりあえず、言うだけ言ってみたら？
Why not just say what you have to say and see what happens?
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待つだけ待ったが、彼は来なかった。
I waited as long as I could, but he never came.
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お年寄りには、できるだけゆっくり話しましょう。
Let's speak as slowly as possible with elderly people.
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夜は、できるだけスマホを見ないようにしている。
At night, I try to look at my phone as little as possible.
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被災地のために、できるだけの支援をしたい。
I want to do everything I can to support the disaster area.
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この券があれば、乗り物に好きなだけ乗れますよ。
With this ticket, you can go on the rides as much as you like.
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タオルは必要なだけ取って、残りは棚に戻してね。
Take as many towels as you need and put the rest back on the shelf.
Important notes
- The verb is often repeated: 食べたいだけ食べる, 泣きたいだけ泣く — “eat / cry to your heart’s content”.
- できるだけ ≈ できる限り, but できる限り sounds more formal. できるだけのこと(はする) means “everything in my power”.
- まで sets the limit with an event or a time (満足するまで食べる “eat until you’re satisfied”); it does not follow Vたい／好きな.
- だけ after a verb can also mean ‘only’ — 見るだけ means just to look. The limit reading occurs in patterns such as 食べたいだけ食べる／持てるだけ持つ／やるだけやる。
Common mistakes
- ✗ 好きだけ取ってください → ✓ 好きなだけ取ってください — a な-adjective keeps な before だけ.
- ✗ できるだけに早く来てください → ✓ できるだけ早く来てください — the adverb follows できるだけ directly, with no に.
- ✗ 食べたいほど食べてね → ✓ 食べたいだけ食べてね — ほど expresses degree; “as much as you want” is だけ.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
- 〜だけだけ “only” restricts (一つだけ), whereas limit-だけ allows the maximum (好きなだけ).
- 〜ほどほど describes degree, “so much that…” (泣きたいほど嬉しい), while だけ describes quantity, “as much as…” (泣きたいだけ泣く).
- ～限り（は）・～ない限りできる限り is a more formal synonym of できるだけ; the other meanings of 限り (“as long as”, “unless”) have nothing to do with だけ.
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