だけで

Phrase (Intermediate ㊥ 23)

A phrase which expresses the idea that just doing something is enough for something.

Equivalent: Just V-ing is enough; can just ~; just by V-ing

君はここに座っているだけでよい。
You can just sit (literally: be sitting) here.
私は筆跡を見ただけで誰が書いたか分かった。
I knew who wrote it just by looking at the handwriting.
この植木は二週間に一度水をやるだけでよい。
Watering just once every other week is enough for this plant.
この用紙にサインしていただくだけで結構です。
It will be enough if you just sign this form.
本当に来るだけでいいんですか。
Are you sure that I don't have to do anything except attend?
その会議では私はただ座っているだけでよかった。
At that meeting all I had to do was sit there.
村上君は一週間勉強しただけであの試験に通ったそうだ。
I heard that Murakami passed that exam just by studying for one week.
お金を入れてボタンを押すだけで暖かいラーメンが出てくる自動販売機がある。
There is a vending machine which serves hot ramen (literally: from which hot ramen comes out) just by inserting coins and pushing a button.
頭金一万円を払うだけで品物をお届けします。
If you just pay 10,000 yen as deposit, we'll deliver the product.
聞くだけで胸が悪くなるような話だ。
Just hearing that story makes me sick. (literally: It is a story that makes me sick just by hearing it.)

Formation

V informal だけで  
  {読む/読んだ} だけで Just by reading

Notes

The choice of the tense of the verb before だけ depends on (1) whether or not the action expressed by the verb (Action 1) was taken in the past, and (2) whether or not the action/event expressed by the verb (Action 1) precedes the action/event expressed by the main verbal (Action 2). If A1 precedes A2 and A1 is a past action, the verb must be in the past tense (example, Key Sentence (B) and Example (e)). If A1 precedes A2 and A1 is not a past action, the verb is commonly in the nonpast tense, although the past tense is also acceptable (example, Examples (f) - (h)). If A1 does not precede A2 and A1 is a past action, the verb is commonly in the nonpast, although the past tense is also acceptable (example, Example (d)). If A1 does not precede A2 and A1 is not a past action, the verb must be in the nonpast (example, Key Sentence (A) and Examples(a) - (c)).

(⇨ だけ㊦)