んばかり vs ばかりに vs とばかりに n bakari · bakari ni · to bakari ni
んばかり means “as if about to,” ばかりに means “solely because,” and とばかりに means “as if to say.” 泣かんばかり describes someone on the verge of tears; 嘘をついたばかりに introduces a regrettable result. 「早く」とばかりに can frame a gesture as conveying unspoken words. The three patterns attach differently and are not interchangeable.
also written nbakari / bakarini / tobakarini
んばかり — all but doing it · ばかりに — merely because, and it cost me · とばかりに — as if to say
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
んばかり — all but in tears
plain past
。
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彼女
かのじょ ［1］
she
pronoun · the person described
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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泣かんばかり
なかんばかり
all but in tears
ない-form of 泣く minus ない, plus んばかり · on the very edge of it
んばかりN1all but · on the verge of
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の
の
(attributive)
particle · んばかり takes の to modify a noun, never な
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顔
かお ［0］
face; expression
noun · 顔をする is the set phrase for wearing an expression
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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して
して
wearing
て-form of する · 顔をする, to have that look
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いた
いた
was
plain past of いる · the look lasted
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She had a face that was all but in tears.
ばかりに — a small cause, a large cost
plain past
、。
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嘘
うそ ［1］
lie
noun · 嘘をつく is the set phrase
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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ついた
ついた
told
plain past of つく · a complete clause, which ばかりに requires
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ばかりに
ばかりに
merely because
conjunction · a small cause, and the cost that followed
ばかりにN1merely because · and it cost me
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信用
しんよう ［0］
trust
noun · 信用を失う is the set phrase
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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失った
うしなった
lost
plain past of 失う · the disproportionate result
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Just because I told one lie, I lost their trust.
とばかりに — the gesture that spoke
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · the person whose manner did the talking
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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もう帰れ
もうかえれ
go home already
imperative of 帰る · the words nobody actually said
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と
と
quotative
particle · quoting words nobody spoke — not the と that joins nouns
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ばかりに
ばかりに
as if to say
conjunction · the と quotes something unspoken
とばかりにN1as if to say
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時計
とけい ［0］
clock; watch
noun · the object of the pointed glance
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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見た
みた
looked at
plain past of 見る · the gesture that carried the message
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He looked at the clock as if to say “time you went.”
んばかり — before a noun
plain past
。
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目
め ［1］
eyes
noun · where the tears sat
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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溢れんばかり
あふれんばかり
brimming; about to overflow
ない-form of 溢れる minus ない, plus んばかり · on the point of spilling
んばかりのN1all but · on the verge of
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の
の
(attributive)
particle · joining んばかり to 涙, not possession
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涙
なみだ ［1］
tears
noun · the thing about to overflow
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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浮かんで
うかんで
welling up
て-form of 浮かぶ · the verb tears actually take with 目
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いた
いた
were
plain past of いる · the state held rather than spilled
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Her eyes were brimming with tears.
ばかりに — and the regret in it
plain past
、。
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寝坊した
ねぼうした
overslept
plain past of 寝坊する · the small cause
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ばかりに
ばかりに
merely because
conjunction · and the cost is about to follow
ばかりにN1merely because
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試験
しけん ［2］
exam
noun · what was lost
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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受けられなかった
うけられなかった
couldn't sit
negative past potential of 受ける · the disproportionate result
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Just because I overslept, I missed the exam.
ばかり — the everyday one, for contrast
plain
。
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弟
おとうと ［4］
little brother
noun · 弟 for your own, 弟さん for someone else's
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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ゲーム
ゲーム
games
noun · loanword, always katakana
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ばかり
ばかり
nothing but
particle · the N4 everyday ばかり, unrelated to the three above
ばかりN4nothing but · only
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して
して
doing
て-form of する · linking into いる
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いる
いる
is (doing)
plain いる · an ongoing habit
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My little brother does nothing but play games.
Structure
The shape in front tells you which
泣か＋んばかり
泣かんばかりの顔. Note する → せんばかり, which is irregular and heavily tested.
嘘をついた＋ばかりに
嘘をついたばかりに、信用を失った. What follows is usually something the speaker regrets.
「もう待てない」＋とばかりに
と marks the unspoken words. The person's manner conveyed them; nobody actually said anything.
んばかり＋の ＋ noun
溢れんばかりの涙. Only んばかり modifies a noun this way; the other two do not take の.
Meaning
Three patterns, one spelling
んばかり is “all but.”泣かんばかりの顔をしていた — a face on the very edge of tears, whether tears actually follow depends on context. The ん is the classical auxiliary む, which meant “about to” — which is why 言わんばかり is “as if about to say” and carries nothing negative at all.
ばかりに is “merely because,” and commonly introduces an unwelcome result.嘘をついたばかりに、信用を失った. The pattern often presents a cause that led to an unwelcome result, commonly with regret.
とばかりに is “as if to say.” The と quotes words nobody spoke: 「早く帰れ」とばかりに時計を見た — looked at the clock as if to say “go home.” The gesture did the talking.
The shape in front is the giveaway. A bare negative stem means んばかり. A complete plain clause means ばかりに. Anything in quotation marks, or a plain sentence followed by と, means とばかりに.
The three tend toward literary or formal expression, though ばかりに can occur in speech.んばかり and とばかりに belong to narrative prose; ばかりに turns up in spoken regret occasionally, but 〜せいで does the same job more plainly.
Watch out
Where the three ばかり go wrong
Building んばかり on the wrong stem
It attaches to the ない-form with ない removed: 泣か＋んばかり. And する is irregular — せんばかり, not しんばかり.
A good result after ばかりに
The pattern exists to report a cost. 勉強したばかりに合格した does not work; for a welcome result use おかげで.
Reading とばかりに as something said aloud
Nobody spoke. The と quotes what the person's manner conveyed — a glance, a gesture, a slammed door. If they did say it, you want a plain と言って.
Also asked
Questions people ask about these three
How do I tell them apart quickly?
Look at what sits in front. A bare negative stem — 泣か, 溢れ — means んばかり. A finished plain clause means ばかりに. A quotation means とばかりに.
What is the ん in んばかり?
The classical auxiliary む, in the ん form it took before another word. It meant “about to” or “intending to,” which is why 言わんばかり is “as if about to say.” It is not the negative ぬ, even though the stem it attaches to is the same one ない uses — which is what makes the mix-up so easy.
Does ばかりに always mean something bad happened?
Effectively yes. The pattern is built to say a small cause produced an unreasonable cost. A welcome outcome takes おかげで instead.
とばかりに or と言わんばかりに?
Both exist and mean nearly the same thing. と言わんばかりに is more explicit — it literally says “as if about to say” — and it stacks んばかり on top, which is why it feels heavier.
Are these common?
In writing, yes; in speech, no. んばかり and とばかりに are narrative devices, and ばかりに is usually replaced in conversation by せいで.
Is the N4 ばかり related?
Historically the same word, and it will not help you to think so. The everyday ばかり means “nothing but”; none of the three patterns here carries that sense.
