それだけ

• Reading: それだけ
• Romaji: sore dake
• Formation: Clause (cause/condition) + それだけ + Clause (proportionate result)

Meaning

An adverbial phrase meaning 'to that extent' or 'proportionately,' indicating that the degree of a result corresponds to a previously mentioned cause or condition.

それだけ functions as a connector between a cause/condition and a proportionate result, similar to 'accordingly' or 'that much more' in English. It points back to the preceding clause and states that the consequence is proportional to it. For instance, 努力した分、それだけ成果が出る means 'To the extent you put in effort, you get proportionate results.' It differs from だけ alone, which merely limits quantity, and from だけに, which explains a reason. それだけ in this adverbial sense always references a preceding condition. It is natural in both formal and conversational registers and frequently appears in motivational, advisory, and analytical contexts.

Examples

1. 準備に時間をかけた分、それだけ本番で自信が持てた。 Because I spent time preparing, I was proportionately more confident during the real event.
2. 経験を積めば積むほど、それだけ判断力が鋭くなる。 The more experience you gain, the sharper your judgment becomes accordingly.
3. 期待が大きかっただけに、それだけ失望も深かった。 Because expectations were high, the disappointment was proportionately deep.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: explanatory

Do Say

• 責任が重い立場である以上、それだけ慎重に行動すべきだ。
• 苦労が多かった分、それだけ達成感も大きい。
• 投資額が大きいほど、それだけリスクも高まる。

Don't Say

• それだけ彼は来なかった。(Using それだけ without a proportional cause-result relationship) → 忙しかっただけに、それだけ彼の不在が目立った。
• それだけの理由で辞めた。(Confusing adverbial それだけ with それだけの meaning 'only that much') → 些細な理由で辞めてしまった。

Origin & History

それだけ is composed of the demonstrative それ (that) and the particle だけ (only/to the extent). In its adverbial use, だけ retains the meaning of 'to the degree of,' creating a proportional expression that has been standard in Japanese since the early modern period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal