Posted inN2 Grammar

JLPT N2 Grammar: ～ばかりに (Bakari ni) – Because / Simply Because (leading to a negative result)

Posted inN2 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Expresses that a specific action, state, or situation is the *sole* or *primary* reason for an undesirable or negative outcome. It translates roughly to “because,” “simply because,” “just because,” or “on account of.”

🎯 Primary Function

To highlight a single cause that unfortunately led to a negative or regrettable consequence. It often carries a nuance of complaint, regret, or blame.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (plain form: e.g., 買う, 買った, 買わない, 買わなかった) い-adjective (plain form: e.g., 高い, 高くない, 高かった, 高くなかった) な-adjective (stem) + な (e.g., 暇な -> 暇な) Noun + である (e.g., 学生である) All forms connect directly before ばかりに.

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in more formal speech or writing when explaining the reason for an unfortunate event.

😊 Informal Situations

Less common than simpler causal forms (like から or ので), but possible when emphasizing blame or strong regret.

✍️ Written Language

Relatively common in written text, such as essays, news articles, or literature, when reporting on causes of incidents or lamenting situations.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used, but perhaps slightly less frequently than in writing. Can sound a bit more formal or emphatic than everyday causal expressions.

💡 Common Applications

Explaining the cause of a personal failure or mistake.
Used to attribute a negative result solely to one’s own action or lack thereof, often with regret.
Example: 遅刻したばかりに、大事な会議に出られなかった。 (Chikoku shita bakari ni, daiji na kaigi ni derarenakatta.) – Just because I was late, I couldn’t attend the important meeting.
Attributing a problem to a specific situation or another person’s action.
Used to point to an external factor or situation as the sole cause of trouble or misfortune.
Example: 彼が嘘をついたばかりに、みんなが彼を信じなくなった。 (Kare ga uso o tsuita bakari ni, minna ga kare o shinjinaku natta.) – Simply because he lied, everyone stopped believing him.
Expressing regret over a past decision or action.
Used to show regret for doing something that unfortunately led to a bad outcome.
Example: 軽い気持ちで引き受けたばかりに、大変な目に遭ってしまった。 (Karui kimochi de hikiuketa bakari ni, taihen na me ni atte shimatta.) – Just because I accepted it lightly, I ended up having a terrible experience.
📊
Frequency
Moderately frequent in JLPT N2 level reading materials and contexts, especially when discussing causes of negative events.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N2
Example Sentences
高い本を買ったばかりに、今月はお金がない。
Just because I bought an expensive book, I have no money this month.
少し油断したばかりに、大きなミスをしてしまった。
Simply because I was a little careless, I made a big mistake.
優秀なばかりに、仕事がどんどん増えていく。
Just because I’m excellent, my work keeps increasing. (Expressing a negative consequence of being excellent)
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Expresses cause/reason for an outcome.
It clearly states the preceding cause that led to the following event.
Example: 寝坊したばかりに、試験を受けられなかった。(Nebou shita bakari ni, shiken o uketsukerarenakatta.) – Because I overslept, I couldn’t take the exam.
The result is typically negative or undesirable.
This is a crucial aspect. The outcome linked by ばかりに is almost always something bad, regrettable, or a source of trouble or complaint.
Example: 安易に考えたばかりに、後で大変な苦労をした。(An’i ni kangaeta bakari ni, ato de taihen na kurou o shita.) – Because I thought about it too simply, I had a lot of trouble later.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using ばかりに to express the cause of a positive outcome.
✅ Use patterns like 〜おかげで (oka ge de) or 〜によって (ni yotte) for positive results.
ばかりに is strictly used to link a cause to a negative consequence.
❌ Incorrectly connecting ばかりに to the preceding word.
✅ Ensure you use the correct connection forms: V/い-adj (plain), な-adj + な, Noun + である.
Using the wrong form (e.g., forgetting な for な-adj or using a casual form for Noun) is a common error.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: More formal and slightly more literary compared to simple casual causal forms like から or ので.
Social Situations: Used in situations requiring a slightly more formal explanation or lamentation of misfortune or blame. Less common in very casual daily conversation.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese grammar; no significant regional variations.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜ばかりに vs. 〜せいで (sei de)
Both express cause for negative results. 〜せいで often implies blame more strongly, while 〜ばかりに highlights the cause as the *single* unfortunate reason, sometimes with regret for one’s own action. ばかりに is slightly more formal/literary.
When to use: Use 〜せいで when you want to explicitly attribute blame. Use 〜ばかりに when you want to emphasize a single cause for a negative outcome, which may or may not involve blame, and has a slightly more formal tone.
〜ばかりに vs. 〜ために (tame ni – cause/reason)
〜ために is a general causal connector used for both positive/neutral/negative results and objectives. 〜ばかりに is specific to negative results and emphasizes the *sole* cause.
When to use: Use 〜ために for general cause/reason. Use 〜ばかりに only for causes leading specifically to negative outcomes, emphasizing that specific cause.
〜ばかりに vs. 〜からこそ (kara koso)
〜からこそ emphasizes that *precisely because* of a certain reason (often difficult), a positive or significant result followed. ばかりに is about a reason leading to a negative outcome.
When to use: Use 〜からこそ to emphasize a cause leading to a positive/significant result. Use 〜ばかりに for a cause leading to a negative result.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Pay attention to the plain forms of verbs and い-adjectives, including past and negative forms. Remember the required な after the stem of な-adjectives and である after nouns in the standard form.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced ばかりに (bakari ni). Standard Japanese pronunciation.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ばかり (bakari) as meaning “only” or “just”. Connect it to the idea “just *because* this happened, this *bad* thing resulted.” Visualize a single cause leading directly to a regrettable consequence.

Practice Exercises
彼が（ ）ばかりに、計画は全て台無しになった。
遅れた
速かった
上手だった
親切な
経験が（ ）ばかりに、簡単な仕事でも時間がかかった。
多い
少ない
長い
速い
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