JLPT N2 grammar
だけあって vs だけに — Meaning & Examples
有名なだけあって混んでいる (lives up to it, neutral) vs 有名なだけに批判も多い (precisely because — X cuts both ways). The exam's favourite confusion pair.
〜だけあって — Living Up to X
〜だけあって = "as one would expect from X" / "being X, it's no surprise that..." The result matches or justifies X — and the tone is almost always positive / admiring.
Formation: noun / plain form + だけあって (な-adjective + な, noun often bare)
彼は10年イギリスに住んでいただけあって、英語がとても自然だ。
= Having lived in England for 10 years, his English is (as you'd expect) very natural.
このレストランは有名なだけあって、いつも混んでいる。
= Being famous (as it is), this restaurant is always crowded.
高いだけあって、この鞄は作りがしっかりしている。
= For the price (as befits it), this bag is very well made.
The logic: X is a reason to expect something good, and the result delivers. 高いだけあって、質がいい = "it's expensive, and sure enough the quality's good."
Compare with せっかく (review): せっかく = "despite the effort/opportunity" (often ends in disappointment). だけあって = "the effort/quality paid off, as expected." Nearly opposite feelings.
A related idiom: 〜だけのことはある — same "lives up to it" feeling, used as its own stand-alone comment rather than attached mid-sentence: さすが、プロだけのことはある。= "Impressive — that's a pro for you."
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on だけあって vs だけに. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 彼は10年イギリスに住んでいただけあって、英語がとても自然だ means?
- Although he lived in England, his English is unnatural
- He wants to live in England to improve his English
- As you'd expect from living in England 10 years, his English is very natural
- His English is natural despite never living abroad
Show answer
Answer: As you'd expect from living in England 10 years, his English is very natural
〜だけあって = as one would expect from X — the result lives up to X, with an admiring tone.
2. The tone of 〜だけあって is usually?
- Negative and critical
- Neutral and factual only
- Positive/admiring — the result justifies X
- Regretful
Show answer
Answer: Positive/admiring — the result justifies X
だけあって almost always introduces a good result that lives up to X: 高いだけあって、質がいい.
3. How do だけあって and だけに differ?
- They are identical
- だけあって = the result lives up to X (usually positive); だけに = X intensifies the result, which can be + or −
- だけに is always positive; だけあって always negative
- Only formality differs
Show answer
Answer: だけあって = the result lives up to X (usually positive); だけに = X intensifies the result, which can be + or −
有名なだけあって混んでいる (lives up to it) vs 有名なだけに批判も多い (precisely because — X cuts both ways).
Practise だけあって vs だけに in the free app
This point is part of the “🎯 Fitting Expectations — だけあって・だけに・ものだから・ことだから” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N2 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N2 grammar points
From the same lesson: 🎯 Fitting Expectations — だけあって・だけに・ものだから・ことだから
Frequently asked questions
What does だけあって vs だけに mean?
有名なだけあって混んでいる (lives up to it, neutral) vs 有名なだけに批判も多い (precisely because — X cuts both ways). The exam's favourite confusion pair.
Is だけあって vs だけに on the JLPT N2 test?
だけあって vs だけに is taught in the JLPT N2 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “🎯 Fitting Expectations — だけあって・だけに・ものだから・ことだから”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise だけあって vs だけに?
Open the “🎯 Fitting Expectations — だけあって・だけに・ものだから・ことだから” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N2 mock exams, with no ads.