だけましだ

At Least It's Better

Level 3Sounds Like dakemashida

Use だけましだ to point out a 'silver lining' in a negative situation. It translates to 'at least it's better that...' or 'one should be grateful that...'

How It Works

The expression だけましだ is composed of だけ (only/just) and まし (better/preferable). It is used when you are in a situation that is generally bad, but you find one saving grace.

Key Nuances:

  • It is not used for purely positive situations. You wouldn't say 'I won the lottery, so it's だけまし.'
  • It carries a tone of 'it could be worse.'
  • A very common variation is だけまだましだ, where まだ (still) is added to emphasize that the situation is still better than the worst-case scenario.
  • It is closely related to 〜よりましだ, which explicitly compares the current state to a worse option.
  • In casual speech, まし is often written in katakana as マシ.

Grammar Rules:

  • Verbs: Use the Plain Form (Dictionary, ない, or た).
  • い-Adjectives: Use the dictionary form.
  • な-Adjectives: You must keep the な before だけ (e.g., 静かなだけましだ).
  • Nouns: Use である before だけ (e.g., 健康であるだけましだ).

Examples (4)

  1. 給料は安いが、仕事があるだけましだ。

    The salary is low, but at least I have a job.

    Word by Word: Salary as-for cheap-is but, job exists only-better-is.

    The speaker acknowledges the low pay (negative) but finds the silver lining in actually having employment.

  2. 泥棒に財布を盗まれたが、命があっただけましだと思おう。

    My wallet was stolen by a thief, but I'll try to think that at least I'm still alive.

    Word by Word: Thief by wallet was-stolen but, life existed only-better-is that let's-think.

    Losing a wallet is bad, but compared to losing one's life, the current situation is 「まし」 (better).

  3. このアパートは古くて狭いけど、駅に近いだけましだよ。

    This apartment is old and cramped, but at least it's close to the station.

    Word by Word: This apartment as-for old-and narrow-is but, station to close only-better-is.

    The proximity to the station is the single positive factor that makes the bad apartment acceptable.

  4. 昨日は雨だったけど、風がなかっただけましだったね。

    It rained yesterday, but at least there was no wind.

    Word by Word: Yesterday as-for rain was but, wind existed-not only-better-was right?

    The speaker uses the past tense 「ましだった」 to evaluate a past negative event.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the 'na' for na-adjectives.

    ここは静かだけましだ。
    ここは静かなだけましだ。

    Since 'dake' follows the noun-modifying form, na-adjectives require the 'na' particle.

  • Attaching directly to a noun without 'de aru'.

    病気じゃないだけましだ。
    病気ではないだけましだ。

    While 'nai' works because it functions like an adjective, for positive noun statements, you need 'de aru' (e.g., 日本人であるだけましだ).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

だけましだLevel 3At Least It's Better

Learn This First

To understand 'だけましだ', you need to know the particle 'だけ' (only) and the copula 'だ'. The pattern literally translates to 'just [the fact that it is X] is better', so you must also be comfortable with how verbs and adjectives connect to 'だけ' using standard noun modification rules.

Words in This Pattern

増し丈