Only, just and nothing but
だけ is a neutral "just", しか…ない is "only" with a sigh, and ばかり is "nothing but", often as a complaint. They also give you "there's no choice but to…" and "I've only just…". Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 everyday sentences
Each card shows a word, how it goes with だけ, しか or ばかり, and a sentence for home or the shops. Nine reuse words from earlier courses.
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Three ways to say “only”
All three go straight after the word they limit, and replace が and を. しか always needs a negative verb.
| Form | Feeling | Example |
|---|
- しか takes a negative. , never しかある. It means the same as だけ but adds "and that's not much".
- ばっかり in speech. ばかり is often said ばっかり, and it usually sounds like a complaint.
- Just did: た-form + ばかり. = I've just arrived. It can also mean "only recently": .
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Four patterns to use today
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Say it in Japanese
Say each one out loud before you reveal the answer. Getting close counts.