Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 9: 12/23

だけにAs might be expected, Because, All the more because, It's only natural

Structure

Verb + だけに
［い］Adjective + だけに
［な］Adjective + な + だけに
Noun + だけに

Details

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About だけに

だけに is a grammar pattern that is often translated as 'as might be expected of (A)', 'it's only natural due to (A)', or simply 'because of (A)'. Being a combination of だけ 'just', and に 'to', the literal meaning is 'just in that it's (A)', and is similar to the counterpart phrase in English.

だけに may be used when highlighting either positive or negative results that came about due to (A), and will appear after verbs, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives that have been followed by な, or nouns.

Also, だけに may be used when highlighting that specifically because of (A), (B) is considered a level above what would usually be expected. This can be in terms of difficulty, emotional reaction, volume, or anything else that is quantifiable.

Fun-fact

With any of these meanings, the equivalent 'just in that it's (A)' English expression can be utilized as an accurate interpretation, as both it and だけに often just draw the listener's attention to (A), in order to show that (B) is noteworthy because of it.

  • 彼(かれ)は子供(こども)の頃(ころ)からそろばんを習(なら)っているだけに、暗算(あんざん)がとてもうまい。
    Just in that he has been learning the abacus since childhood, he is very good at mental math.

Examples

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    この車(くるま)は最新(さいしん)だけに、椅子(いす)のヒーターもあります。

    This is a brand new car and as one might expect, it comes with heated seats.

    年(とし)を取(と)ってきただけに、出来(でき)なくなったことが多(おお)い。

    As one might expect with aging, there are a lot of things you can no longer do.

    大工(だいく)だけに、椅子(いす)くらいならすぐに作(つく)ってくれる。

    As one might expect from a carpenter, if it is something like a chair, they can quickly make that for you.

    寿司(すし)職人(しょくにん)だけに、醤油(しょうゆ)へのこだわりがすごい。

    As one might expect from a sushi craftsman, his particularity toward soy sauce is extensive.

    スチュワーデスだけに、身長(しんちょう)が高(たか)く姿勢(しせい)もいいですね。

    As one might expect from a stewardess, she is tall and her posture is good.

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だけに – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (7 in total)

  • onekun

    onekun

    Would it be correct to say that the nuance of だけに vs さすが is that だけに functions more as a “because?”

  • Fuga

    Fuga

    Hey @onekun !
    We apologize for the late response. Yes, だけに functions more like ‘because’, while さすが has the nuance of ‘this is what I expected of…’ or ‘I would expect nothing less than…’. I hope that answers your question!

  • Elliotjoyner3

    Elliotjoyner3

    Here`s a fun article about how だけに can be used to make puns in Japanese:

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