Japanese with Manga

Not only physical wounds with 〜だけじゃなくても

Grammar Explanation: Not limited to just this with 〜だけじゃなくても

Manga panel from くノ一ツバキの胸の内 showing example of Not only physical wounds with 〜だけじゃなくても.
くノ一ツバキの胸の内 » Volume 2 » Page 147

During lunch, Mokurin sees someone new sitting with Tsubaki. She learns that it’s the transfer student, Rindou, who’s joined Tsubaki in the Dog Clan. Mokurin introduces herself as a member of the Monkey Clan, which Tsubaki explains handles medical treatment.

モクリン:
「怪我(けが)だけじゃなくても困(こま)ったことあったら言(い)ってね。」
“If you're having trouble with anything, not just injuries, let me know.”
Literal: “Even if it is not only injuries, if there is something troubling you, tell me.”

Key Points

1怪我(けが)だけじゃなくても broadens the offer
  • 怪我(けが) is the obvious medical category Mokurin starts from, but she does not limit her help to injuries.
  • The pattern だけじゃなくても reads here as “not just injuries” or “even if it is not an injury”.
2じゃなくても is casual and concessive
  • じゃなくて is the conversational form of ではなくて, meaning “not” or “not being”.
  • The added も gives the concessive feel of “even if it is not…” rather than simply listing a second item.
3Omitted が after こと
  • 困(こま)ったことあったら is short for 困(こま)ったことがあったら.
  • 困(こま)ったこと means “something troubling” or “a problem”; あったら sets the condition, “if there is” or “if you have”.
4言(い)ってね keeps the line friendly
  • 言(い)って here means “tell me” or “say something to me”.
  • The sentence-ending ね softens the request, so Mokurin sounds like she is offering help rather than giving an order.

Vocabulary

(Injury)

怪我(けが) means an injury or wound. Figuratively, it can mean an unexpected mistake or loss.

(To say)

言(い)う means to say or tell. It can also mean to call something by a particular name.

See Also

くノ一ツバキの胸の内 © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.