Only the ace of spades with 〜だけ
Grammar Explanation: Limiting with 〜だけ
The Detective Boys group visits a cabin where Professor Agasa has secretly set out clues leading to a treasure. Conan draws the group’s attention to an arrow pointing to a table, on top of which there is…
- コナン:
- 「これまた不自然に散らばったトランプの山…」
- “A pile of cards, rather unnaturally scattered about.”
- 「しかも、なぜかスペードのＡだけが画鋲でとめてある…」
- “Further, for some reason, only the ace of spades is pinned down with thumbtacks...”
- Literal: “Moreover, for some reason, only the ace of spades has been fastened with thumbtacks...”
- “A pile of cards, rather unnaturally scattered about.”
Key Points
1スペードのＡだけ = only the ace of spades
- Here だけ singles out one card from the scattered pile.
- Conan is noticing that only that specific card is being treated differently.
2しかも adds “on top of that”
- The line builds on the previous observation about the unnatural card pile.
- しかも signals an additional suspicious detail.
3が marks the card as the thing pinned down
- スペードのＡだけが 画鋲でとめてある means only the ace of spades has been fixed in place with thumbtacks.
Vocabulary
不自然 (Unnatural)
不自然 refers to something that deviates from its original form or proper state, giving off a sense of something being off. It is often used to describe situations that feel contrived or forced, making them difficult to accept at face value.
画鋲 (Thumbtack)
画鋲 is a small pin used to attach paper items such as drawings and posters to boards or walls. It has a flat, disc-shaped or round head, with a sharp needle on the other end.
See Also
- Kanji: Negation and lack with 不
- Kanji: Pictures and plans with 画
名探偵コナン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.