Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“To do nothing but…” or “To keep doing (something) excessively/continuously.”
🎯 Primary Function
To express a negative evaluation, complaint, or criticism regarding an excessive, habitual, or continuous action.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb て-form + ばかりいる
N/A (Connects only to verbs in the -te form)
N/A (Connects only to verbs in the -te form)
V-て form + ばかりいない (Less common; implies not being excessively doing V)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used with caution. In formal reports or meetings, a less critical phrasing is often preferred, but it can be used when direct criticism is unavoidable.
Informal Situations
Extremely common among friends and family when complaining about habits or excessive behavior.
Written Language
Used in dialogue within literature, personal letters, informal social media posts, or narrative commentary.
Spoken Language
Very common and often accompanied by a tone of exasperation or frustration. The “いる” often changes to “いるよ” or “いるな” informally.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Criticism of Habits
Used to criticize someone’s repetitive and excessive behavior, often associated with a lack of effort or responsibility.
Example: 彼は寝てばかりいる。(Kare wa nete bakari iru.) – He does nothing but sleep.
Highlighting Excessive Consumption
Applicable to actions like eating, drinking, or spending, implying an unhealthy or wasteful habit.
Example: 毎日甘いものを食べてばかりいる。(Mainichi amai mono o tabete bakari iru.) – (She) eats sweets all the time.
Observing Annoying Repetitive Actions
Used to express annoyance or dissatisfaction with a continuous action performed by someone else.
Example: 妹はいつも泣いてばかりいる。(Imōto wa itsumo naite bakari iru.) – My younger sister is always crying.
Frequency
High (Common in conversational Japanese, especially for expressing dissatisfaction.)
Difficulty
JLPT N3 / N2 Transition
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
息子は一日中ゲームをしてばかりいる。
Furigana: むすこは いちにちじゅう ゲームを してばかりいる。
Romaji: Musuko wa ichinichijū gēmu o shite bakari iru.
English: My son does nothing but play video games all day.
Example #2
あの政治家は言い訳をしてばかりで、決して責任を取らない。
Furigana: あの せいじかは いいわけを してばかりで、けっして せきにんを とらない。
Romaji: Ano seijika wa iiwake o shite bakari de, kesshite sekinin o toranai.
English: That politician is always just making excuses and never takes responsibility.
Example #3
ジャンクフードを食べてばかりいると、体を壊すよ。
Furigana: ジャンクフードを たべてばかりいると、からだを こわすよ。
Romaji: Jankufūdo o tabete bakari iru to, karada o kowasu yo.
English: If you keep eating junk food, you’re going to ruin your health.
Example #4
新入社員は心配してばかりで、実際に仕事を始めない。
Furigana: しんにゅうしゃいんは しんぱいしてばかりで、じっさいに しごとを はじめない。
Romaji: Shin’nyū shain wa shinpai shite bakari de, jissai ni shigoto o hajimenaide.
English: The new employee just worries and doesn’t actually start working.
Example #5
赤ちゃんは一時間以上、泣いてばかりいる。
Furigana: あかちゃんは いちじかんいじょう、ないてばかりいる。
Romaji: Akachan wa ichijikan ijō, naite bakari iru.
English: The baby has been crying continuously for over an hour.
Example #6
彼は会社のルールに文句を言ってばかりいる。
Furigana: かれは かいしゃの ルールに もんくを いってばかりいる。
Romaji: Kare wa kaisha no rūru ni monku o itte bakari iru.
English: He is always complaining about the company’s rules.
Example #7
最近、働いてばかりいて、自由な時間がない。
Furigana: さいきん、はたらいてばかりいて、じゆうな じかんが ない。
Romaji: Saikin, hataraite bakari ite, jiyū na jikan ga nai.
English: Recently, I feel like I’m doing nothing but working, and I have no free time.
Example #8
近所の人たちは騒がしいパーティーをしてばかりいる。
Furigana: きんじょのひとたちは さわがしい パーティーを してばかりいる。
Romaji: Kinjo no hitotachi wa sawagashii pātī o shite bakari iru.
English: The neighbors are always throwing loud parties.
Example #9
見ているばかりでなく、こっちへ来て手伝って！
Furigana: みているばかりでなく、こっちへきて てつだって！
Romaji: Mite iru bakari de naku, kocchi e kite tetsudatte!
English: Don’t just watch; come here and help!
Example #10
父はお酒を飲んでばかりで、やめようとしない。
Furigana: ちちは おさけを のんでばかりで、やめようと しない。
Romaji: Chichi wa osake o nonde bakari de, yame yō to shinai.
English: My father keeps drinking alcohol and won’t stop.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The Expression Carries a Negative Connotation
The key function is criticism. This pattern inherently judges the action as excessive or neglecting other necessary duties. It is rarely neutral.
Example: 弟は漫画を読んでばかりいる。(Otōto wa manga o yonde bakari iru.)
The Verb “いる” Denotes Continuity
The “いる” is crucial as it indicates the continuous state of the action. Without “いる,” the meaning changes to “only [Verb]” or “just [Verb].”
Example: 遊んでばかりいないで、宿題をしなさい。(Asonde bakari inaide, shukudai o shinasai.)
Emphasizes Excessive Continuity
The structure emphasizes the continuity of the negative action, not just the habit itself. It means the person is ‘currently’ or ‘habitually’ engrossed in the action.
Example: ゲームばかりする。(Gēmu bakari suru.) – He only plays games. (Focus on the habit) vs. ゲームをしてばかりいる。(Gēmu o shite bakari iru.) – He is always playing games. (Focus on the continuous excessive action)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using V-るばかりだ or V-たばかり for excessive action.
✅ V-てばかりいる (te bakari iru)
While V-るばかりだ means “all that remains is V” and V-たばかり means “just did V,” neither expresses continuous, excessive action. 〜てばかりいる is the correct form.
❌ Using it for positive continuous actions (e.g., 勉強してばかりいる for “She is only studying hard”).
✅ Use ずっと V-ている or 熱心に V-ている instead.
“〜てばかりいる” inherently carries a negative/critical nuance. It should not be used to praise someone for continuously doing a positive thing, like studying.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Low (Directly critical and informal when used toward the person being criticized.)
Social Situations: Best reserved for close relationships or when complaining to a third party about someone else’s behavior, as it is a strong expression of dissatisfaction.
Regional Variations: The nuance remains consistent across regions, though the final verb form may vary (e.g., using 関西弁 forms for いる).
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜てばかりいる vs. 〜てばかりだ
〜てばかりいる emphasizes the continuous *action* of the subject. 〜てばかりだ focuses on the *state* or result of the situation (e.g., この部屋はほこりばかりだ – This room is only dust).
When to use: Use 〜てばかりいる when complaining about a living being’s continuous, excessive behavior. Use 〜てばかりだ when describing a state or condition.
〜てばかりいる vs. 〜っぱなし
〜てばかりいる criticizes the excessive *active* effort put into one action. 〜っぱなし criticizes the *negligence* of leaving something in a certain state (e.g., テレビをつけっぱなしにする – to leave the TV on).
When to use: Use 〜てばかりいる for active, excessive behaviors (playing, complaining). Use 〜っぱなし for passive negligence or leaving things undone.
〜ばかり vs. 〜だけ
〜ばかり often implies excessiveness or bias toward something, especially when used with verbs (V-てばかりいる). 〜だけ simply means “only” or “limit” and is neutral.
When to use: Use 〜ばかりいる for criticism. Use 〜だけ for a neutral statement of limitation (e.g., ひとつだけ下さい – Please give me only one).
📝 Conjugation Notes
The ‘いる’ (iru) at the end of the phrase conjugates like a standard Group 2 verb (e.g., てばかりいます, てばかりいない, てばかりいた, てばかりいれば, etc.). When used in the past tense (てばかりいた), it refers to an excessive action that occurred continuously in the past.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The particle ‘ばかり’ is typically pronounced with emphasis, highlighting the exclusivity of the action. The ‘い’ in ‘いる’ is often slightly reduced or mumbled in fast, informal speech.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘ばかり’ (bakari) as “only” and ‘ていう’ (te iru) as “is doing.” Putting them together makes “is only doing” (in a negative, excessive sense). Associate the pattern with the image of someone sitting on the couch doing one thing and ignoring everything else.
Other Grammar
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