What is the difference between だけ vs しか〜ない?

Both mean "only", but the grammar and the feeling differ. だけ goes with an ordinary verb and is neutral: 千円だけあります "I have just 1,000 yen". しか always needs a negative verb and stresses that there is nothing else — usually with the sense of "not enough" or "less than hoped": 千円しかありません "I only have 1,000 yen (that's all)". しか replaces が and を, and follows other particles (にしか, からしか). With a positive verb, しか is wrong; with a request or a positive statement, use だけ. だけ can also go with a negative verb, but then the meaning changes: 肉だけ食べない "meat is the only thing I don't eat".

When do you use しか〜ない?

Only… and nothing else (often "not enough")

だけ vs しか〜ない: what's the difference?

Both mean "only". だけ is neutral and goes with positive or negative verbs; しか must have a negative verb and stresses "nothing else". With examples and a drill.

Draft: written with AI help and not yet checked by a teacher. If something looks wrong, please report it.

The patterns

だけOnly, just — a neutral limitNo lesson yet
しか〜ないOnly… and nothing else (often "not enough")Open the lesson

The difference

Both mean "only", but the grammar and the feeling differ. だけ goes with an ordinary verb and is neutral: 千円せんえんだけあります "I have just 1,000 yen". しか always needs a negative verb and stresses that there is nothing else — usually with the sense of "not enough" or "less than hoped": 千円せんえんしかありません "I only have 1,000 yen (that's all)". しか replaces が and を, and follows other particles (にしか, からしか). With a positive verb, しか is wrong; with a request or a positive statement, use だけ. だけ can also go with a negative verb, but then the meaning changes: 肉にくだけ食たべない "meat is the only thing I don't eat".

Side by side

だけ千円せんえんだけあります。I have just 1,000 yen.

しか〜ない千円せんえんしかありません。I only have 1,000 yen (that's all).

Same amount; しか adds "and that's not much".

だけ日本語にほんごだけ話はなせます。I can speak only Japanese.

しか〜ない日本語にほんごしか話はなせません。I can't speak anything but Japanese.

しか must have a negative verb; だけ can go with either (and then the meaning changes: 肉にくだけ食たべない = meat is the only thing I don't eat).

だけ少すこしだけ食たべました。I ate just a little.

しか〜ない少すこししか食たべませんでした。I only ate a little (hardly anything).

しか makes the amount sound smaller than it should be.

だけ田中たなかさんだけが来きました。Only Tanaka-san came.

しか〜ない田中たなかさんしか来きませんでした。Nobody came except Tanaka-san.

だけ can keep が (だけが); しか replaces it.

Quick drill

Pick the word that fits the blank. You get the answer straight away.

財布さいふに百円ひゃくえん＿＿ありません。
朝あさはコーヒー＿＿飲のみました。
この店みせは日曜日にちようび＿＿休やすみです。
時間じかんが五分ごふん＿＿ない。急いそごう。
昨日きのうは三時間さんじかん＿＿寝ねていません。
一ひとつ＿＿ください。

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