ばかりで (bakari de)
~ばかりで — only ~ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
Pattern
-
動詞辞書形 + ばかりで、~ないonly does ~ and does not ~: 文句を言うばかりで何もしない -
動詞辞書形 + ばかりで、~(悪化)keeps getting worse: 悪くなるばかりで
Only one thing
Verb + ばかりで means that the person does nothing but that action, and the second half says what they do not do: ゲームをするばかりで、勉強しない. It contains a complaint. Positive, neutral cases take 〜だけで instead.
Getting worse
With verbs such as 悪くなる and 増える, ばかりで says that a trend continues in one direction only, with no improvement: 天気は悪くなるばかりで. This is a different meaning from ~たばかり (just did), so check the verb form.
Examples
-
彼(かれ)は文句(もんく)を言(い)うばかりで、何(なに)もしません。
Kare wa monku o iu bakari de, nani mo shimasen.
He only complains and does nothing.
-
弟(おとうと)はゲームをするばかりで、勉強(べんきょう)しない。
Otōto wa gēmu o suru bakari de, benkyō shinai.
My little brother only plays games and doesn't study.
-
天気(てんき)は悪(わる)くなるばかりで、なかなか晴(は)れない。
Tenki wa waruku naru bakari de, nakanaka harenai.
The weather only gets worse and just won't clear up.
Common mistakes
- Do not confuse it with ~たばかり (just did ~, past form + ばかり).
- It sounds critical. Do not use it for praise.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ~ばよかった — I should have ~, if only I had ~
- ばかりでなく ~ばかりでなく — not only ~ but also ~
- だけでなく ~だけでなく — not only ~ but also ~
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ~ふりをする — pretending to ~
- 一方(いっぽう)だ ~一方だ — keeps ~ing in one direction
- 一体(いったい) 一体 — what on earth ~ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ~じゃない — isn't it ~! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何(なに)か ~か何か — ~ or something
- 代(か)わりに ~代わりに — instead of ~, in return for ~
- 結局(けっきょく) 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ~きり — only ~; ever since ~
- っけ ~っけ — was it ~? (recalling)
- ことになっている ~ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ~
- ことは~が ~ことは~が — it is true that ~, but ~
- くせに ~くせに — even though ~ (with reproach)
- も~ば~も A も ~ば B も ~ — both A and B
- むしろ むしろ — rather, if anything
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