Moteru-dake motte-itte. (Please take as much as you like.)

Situation 1: One Sunday, Ms. Shiba's sister, who has a baby boy, pops over to her sister's house to collect some hand-me-downs.

芝 :　 その段ボールに入っているのは、もう使わないから、 持てるだけ持って行って。

妹：　 あ、うれしい。車で来ているから、全部もらっちゃおう。

Shiba: Sono danbōru-ni haitte-iru-no-wa, mō tsukawanai-kara, moteru-dake motte-itte.

Imōto: A, ureshii. Kuruma-de kite-iru-kara, zenbu moratchaō.

Shiba: I don't need any of what's in these cardboard boxes anymore. Please take as much as you like.

Sister: Oh, how nice! I came by car, so I'll take it all.

Today we will introduce the pattern X(verb)-dake Y, which expresses limitations. X is the verb in dictionary form and Y is the same or a similar verb but in a different form. When X is a potential verb, it expresses that a person does X as much as possible, as in Ms. Shiba's 持(も)てるだけ持っていく(to take as many/much as possible). More examples: がんばれるだけがんばってみるつもりだ (I'll try my best); やれるだけやってみて、だめだったとしても悔(く)いはありません (I'll do my best, and have no regrets even if I fail).

Situation 2: Ms. Tamachi's mother calls her daughter and tries to persuade her to meet a man in the town where she grew up who might be a good match.

田町：　 近くの人じゃないとお付き合いできないから、会っても無駄だと思う。

母：　　 そんなこと言わないで、会うだけ会ってみたら？ 案外運命の人だったりするかも。

Tamachi: Chikaku-no hito-ja-nai-to o-tsukiai-dekinai-kara, atte-mo muda-da-to omou.

Haha: Sonna koto iwanai-de, au-dake atte-mitara? Angai unmei-no hito-dattari-suru-kamo.

Tamachi: I can't go out with a person who doesn't live nearby, so I'm afraid there's no point meeting him.

Mother: Don't say such a thing. Why not just try meeting him once? He might turn out to be the person you're destined to be with.

The pattern X(verb)-dake Y, where X shows intention (rather than being a potential or a perceptional verb), has the connotation that a good result may not be expected but that he/she will do X anyway. In Situation 2, the mother suggests her daughter see a man by saying "会(あ)うだけ会ってみたら?" This implies that the fact they meet once matters more to the mother than the result. Examples: 無理(むり)だとわかってはいるけれど、やるだけやってみよう (I know that it's too difficult for me, but I'll give it a try anyway); 山田(やまだ)さんはどうせ行かないと思(おも)うけど、誘(さそ)うだけ誘ってみようよ (I don't think Mr. Yamada will go, but let's invite him anyway).

Bonus Dialogue: At the office, it's almost time for lunch.

グレイ：　 ねえ、駅前(えきまえ)のレストランのランチ・ビュッフェのサービス券(けん)、もらったの！千円(せんえん)で 食(た)べ放題(ほうだい)！すごくおいしいって評判 (ひょうばん)で、一度(いちど)食べに行(い)ってみたいと思(おも)っていたのよ。お昼(ひる)に行ってみない？

田町：　　 うーん、食べ放題ねえ...。最近(さいきん)ちょっと体重(たいじゅう)が増(ふ)えているのが気(き)になっていて...。

グレイ：　 食べ放題だからって、たくさん食べる必要(ひつよう) ないでしょ！

田町：　　 私(わたし)、食べ放題のお店(みせ)なんかに行ったら、 食べられるだけ食べちゃうと思う。

グレイ：　 まあ、私もそうだけど...。でも、一日(いちにち)ぐらい、お腹(なか)いっぱい食べられるだけ食べちゃう日(ひ)があってもいいかな、と思って...。じゃあ、他(ほか)の人(ひと)を誘(さそ)うね。

田町：　　 あ、ちょっと待(ま)って！せっかくグレイさんが誘って くれたんだから、やっぱり、行くだけ行ってみることにする。

グレイ：　 オーケー！だけど、そのせいで体重が増えたなんて 言(い)わないでよ。

Gray: Ms. Tamachi, I've got coupons for a lunch buffet at the restaurant in front of the station. We can eat as much as we like for ¥1,000. It has a reputation for delicious food, and I've wanted to go there for a long time. Why don't we have lunch there today?

Tamachi: Hmm... we can eat as much as we can? Recently, I've started worrying about my weight.

Gray: Just because it's all-you-can-eat, it doesn't mean we have to eat a lot!

Tamachi: I'm afraid I have to eat as much as I can if it's that kind of restaurant.

Gray: Well, me too. But maybe we should accept that today is a day when we can eat until we're stuffed. Ah well, I'll try asking someone else.

Tamachi: Oh, wait a minute! Since you were kind enough to ask me, I'll come after all.

Gray: OK! But don't go saying you put on weight after this!