Learn Hardcore Japanese: ryoukin wo kozeni dake de haraimasita.

料金を小銭で払いました = “I paid with coins.”
料金を小銭だけで払いました = “I paid using only coins.”
✗ 料金を小銭だけ払いました is odd because without で, 小銭 looks like the thing you paid, not the method.

Where does だけ go? Is 小銭でだけ okay?

For “only by/with N (as an instrument),” use Nだけで. 小銭でだけ sounds unnatural here.
Note: Nでだけ is common when で marks a place/time/context: e.g., 学校でだけ日本語を話します (“I speak Japanese only at school”). For instruments, stick to Nだけで.

What exactly does だけ limit here?

It limits 小銭: “only coins (and no bills, cards, etc.).” It does not mean “I only paid (and didn’t do anything else).” It’s “the fee was paid using only coins.”

How is だけ different from しか?

だけ works with affirmative verbs: 小銭だけで払いました (“I paid using only coins”).
しか requires a negative and emphasizes restriction: 小銭でしか払えませんでした (“I couldn’t pay except with coins” / “I could only pay with coins”).
しか
- negative feels more limiting.

Does 小銭 mean “small coins” or just “coins”?

小銭 means loose change/coins in general (any denomination), not “tiny coins.” It contrasts with bills or non-cash methods. A more formal word for “coin” is 硬貨 (こうか). お釣り (おつり) is change you get back after paying.

What’s the difference between 料金, 代金, 費用, 運賃, and お金?

料金: fee/charge for a service (hotel, phone, admission).
代金: the price/cost you pay for a purchase (goods/services).
費用: expenses/costs (broad, often calculative).
運賃: fare (transportation).
お金: money (cash in general).

Could I replace 払いました with 支払いました?

Yes. 支払いました is more formal/businesslike. Casual/neutral: 払いました. Noun form: 支払い (“payment”).

Can I topicalize with は? For example, 料金は小銭だけで払いました?

Yes. 料金は… makes “the fee” the topic, often with a contrastive nuance: “As for the fee, I paid it only in coins.” 料金を… is a straightforward object marking with no topical contrast implied.

Can I change the word order, like 小銭だけで料金を払いました?

Yes. Both 料金を小銭だけで払いました and 小銭だけで料金を払いました are natural. Word order is flexible; keep related parts together and avoid splitting 小銭だけで.

Can I omit particles in casual speech?

を is sometimes dropped in casual speech, especially in conversation: 料金、小銭だけで払った. In writing or careful speech, keep it.
で cannot be dropped here because you’d lose the “by/with” meaning.

How would I say “I paid only the fee (and nothing else)”?

Use 料金だけ to limit the thing paid: 料金だけを小銭で払いました = “I paid only the fee in coins.”
Your original sentence limits the method, not the item.

How do I say “I could only pay with coins”?

Use しか + negative or a potential form:

小銭でしか払えませんでした (“I couldn’t pay except with coins”).
Or: 小銭でしか支払いできませんでした (more formal).

What tense/politeness is 払いました? When use 払った or 払います?

払いました: polite past (“paid”).
払った: plain past (casual).
払います: polite non-past (“pay / will pay”).
Use polite forms with strangers/service staff; plain with friends/family.

Any pronunciation tips?

を is pronounced “o.”
払いました = はらいました (ha-ra-i-ma-shi-ta).
料金 = りょうきん; 小銭 = こぜに; だけ = だけ; で = で.

Are spaces normal in Japanese sentences like this?

No. Japanese is typically written without spaces: 料金を小銭だけで払いました. The spaced version is just for learning clarity.

How do I add where or to whom I paid?

Place (location of the action): 駅で (“at the station”).
Recipient: 駅員に (“to the station staff”).
Example: 駅で駅員に料金を小銭だけで払いました (“At the station, I paid the station staff the fee using only coins”). Multiple で is fine if one is place and the other is means.

How can I make it more formal?

料金を小銭のみで支払いました。
Even more formal/polite service style: 料金は小銭のみでお支払いいたしました。

What about ばかり instead of だけ?

ばかり can mean “nothing but/mostly,” often with a slightly negative or excessive feel.

料金を小銭ばかりで払いました suggests “I paid with nothing but coins” and can sound like a complaint or emphasis on excess. だけ is neutral exclusivity.