ただ～(だけ)

About

Depending on the context, ただ can mean "just/only" or "free of charge". Usually, when ただ is used as "just/only" it follows the pattern:

ただの(noun)

Compared to だけ, which can also be used to express "just/only", ただ puts a touch more emphasis on the fact that what it's describing is "just X". What's more, ただ can start a sentence, whereas だけ cannot.

ただ and だけ can also be used together in the same sentence. This follows the pattern:

ただ～だけ

E.g. ただピザを食たべているだけです。
"(We are) just eating the pizza."

For the ただ～だけ pattern, 「ただの(noun)」 should be avoided. More on this in the main article.

Summary

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  ただ can mean "only/just" or "free of charge", depending on the context

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  ただ can come at the start, or in the middle of a sentence

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  ただ and だけ can be used together in the same sentence