immersionlog
Sign inCreate account

〜ばかりだ

keeps getting (worse); all that's left is

Verb dictionary form + ばかりだ

Sign up free to review this point on a spaced schedule.

After a verb of change, ばかりだ describes a trend that keeps going in one direction, usually a bad one: 病状は悪くなるばかりだ, "the patient's condition just keeps getting worse". It's very close to 一方だ (N3).

In the middle of a sentence, it's ばかりで: 仕事は増えるばかりで、ちっとも減らない.

With あとは, it means "all that's left is": あとは結果を待つばかりだ, "all that's left is to wait for the results". Everything else is done.

Don't confuse it with ばかりか ("not only") or たばかり (N4, "just did"). With the dictionary form and だ, it's a trend or the only remaining step.

Examples

  • 病状びょうじょうは悪わるくなるばかりだ。

    The patient's condition just keeps getting worse.

  • 物価ぶっかは上あがるばかりだ。

    Prices just keep rising.

  • 仕事しごとは増ふえるばかりで、ちっとも減へらない。

    The work just keeps piling up and never goes down.

  • あとは結果けっかを待まつばかりだ。

    All that's left is to wait for the results.

  • 準備じゅんびはできて、あとは出発しゅっぱつするばかりだ。

    Everything's ready; all that's left is to set off.

Related