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Meaning: as much as

Formation:

Verb-dictionary form + だけ

なadjective + なだけ

いadjective + だけ

Noun + だけ

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Example sentences:

フランクは玄関からそっと外に出て、短い脚で急げるだけ急いで家に帰った。

Frank slipped out the front door and hurried home as fast as his short legs could carry him.

furanku wa genkan kara sotto soto ni dete, mijikai ashi de isogeru dake isoide ie ni kaetta.

出会った人々はお金を欲しいだけ持っていて、なんの憂いもないように見えた。

The people I met seemed to have all the money they wanted with no cares at all.

deatta hitobito wa okane o hoshii dake motte ite, nan no urei mo nai you ni mieta.

私の注文にかなった料理をつくれるコックを見つけるのは簡単なことではなかった。そして何とかうまく見つかるには見つかったが、高い給料を払わなくてはならなかった。私が予定していたより遥かに高い給料だった。でも彼は給料だけの仕事はしたし、私はその結果に満足していた。

It had been no easy task to find the kind of chef I had in mind. I finally did locate one, though it cost me, much more than I’d bargained for. But he earned his pay, and I was satisfied.

watashi no chuumon ni kanatta ryouri o tsukureru kokku o mitsukeru no wa kantan na koto de wa nakatta. soshite nan toka umaku mitsukaru ni wa mitsukatta ga, takai kyuuryou o harawanakute wa naranakatta. watashi ga yotei shite ita yori haruka ni takai kyuuryou datta. demo kare wa kyuuryou dake no shigoto wa shita shi, watashi wa sono kekka ni manzoku shite ita.

好きなだけお金を使えて、小銭を数えることもなく暮らせるのは、なんて楽しいんだろう。

What fun it is to be able to spend as much money as you like and not count pennies.

suki na dake okane o tsukaete, kozeni o kazoeru koto mo naku kuraseru no wa, nante tanoshiin darou.

決戦大会では、一人の候補者が過半数を得るまで、代議員たちが何回でも必要なだけ投票を行います。

In a contested convention, delegates hold as many rounds of votes as needed until a candidate wins a majority.

kessen taikai de wa, hitori no kouhosha ga kahansuu o eru made, daigiintachi ga nankai demo hitsuyou na dake touhyou o okonaimasu.

相当長いことよそに行って来ることになるかもしれないが、できるだけ早く、またあなたに会いに来よう。

I may be away for a good while, but I’ll come and see you again as soon as I can.

soutou nagai koto yoso ni itte kuru koto ni naru kamoshirenai ga, dekiru dake hayaku, mata anata ni ai ni koyou.

林の尽きたところから用心深くそっと忍び出て、できるだけ急いで草原を渡り始めた。

Creeping cautiously out from the edge of the trees, I set off across the open as quickly as I could.

hayashi no tsukita tokoro kara youjinbukaku sotto shinobidete, dekiru dake isoide sougen o watarihajimeta.

私は現場監督を呼び、手に入るだけのダンプ・トラックを工事現場に集めて、すぐに作業を開始させるよう指示した。

I called in my construction supervisor and told him that I wanted him to round up every dump truck he could possibly find, and put them to work on my site immediately.

watashi wa genba kantoku o yobi, te ni hairu dake no danpu torakku o kouji genba ni atsumete, sugu ni sagyou o kaishi saseru you shiji shita.

身なりをよくして、パーティーでできるだけよい印象を与えようとした。

I tried to put my best foot forward at the party by dressing nicely.

minari o yoku shite, paatii de dekiru dake yoi inshou o ataeyou to shita.

できるだけ今のうちに仕事を片付けてしまいたいのです。

I want to get as much work done as I can now.

dekiru dake ima no uchi ni shigoto o katadzukete shimaitai no desu.

全員に行きわたるだけのビールはあるかい？

Is there enough beer to go around?

zen’in ni ikiwataru dake no biiru wa aru kai.

Similar grammar:

だけで (dake de): just by, just by doing

だけ (dake) – 1: only, just

だけに (dake ni): being the case

だけは (dake wa): to do all that one can