GRAMMAR
〜だけ ①
as much as
Explanation
NOTE
〜だけ here means as much as — it expresses doing something to the fullest possible extent.
食べ放題だから、食べたいだけ食べていいよ。
It is all-you-can-eat, so eat as much as you want.
NOTE
It often pairs the same verb twice: Vたいだけ V — do the action to the limit of one's desire.
休みの日は、寝たいだけ寝る。
On my days off, I sleep as much as I want.
The same verb is repeated: 寝たい (want to sleep) then 寝る (sleep).
NOTE
Attach だけ to a verb in the たい form. The main verb follows after だけ.
STRUCTURE
Vます
たいだけ言いたいだけ言って、彼は帰った。
Iitai dake itte, kare wa kaetta.
He said as much as he wanted, then went home.
遊びたいだけ遊んでから勉強する。
Asobitai dake asonde kara benkyou suru.
I will play as much as I want, then study.
泣きたいだけ泣けば、気持ちが楽になるよ。
Nakitai dake nakeba, kimochi ga raku ni naru yo.
If you cry as much as you want, you will feel better.
Practice exercises
1
疲れているわけではあるまいし、眠れるだけ眠ればいい。
Since it's not like you're tired, you should sleep as much as you can.
Answer
だけ
2
結果のいかんによらず、言いたいだけ言えばいい。
Regardless of the outcome, you should say as much as you want to say.
Answer
だけ
3
この問題は若者に限ったことではない。話したいだけ話すべきだ。
This problem is not limited to young people. You should talk as much as you want to talk.
Answer
だけ
4
今は動けるだけ動いておこう。
I should move as much as I can now.
Answer
だけ
5
理解できるだけ理解しておけばいい。
You should understand as much as you can.
Answer
だけ
6
休みの日は寝たいだけ寝る。
On my days off, I sleep as much as I want.
Answer
寝たいだけ
7
子供は遊びたいだけ遊んだ。
The child played as much as he wanted.
Answer
だけ
8
今日は買いたいだけ買っていいよ。
Today you may buy as much as you want.
Answer
買いたいだけ