ばかりに
Simply because, Only because, Just because, Simply on account of
Structure
［い］Adjective + ばかりに
［な］Adjective + な(1) + ばかりに
Noun + な(1) + ばかりに
(1) である
Explanation
When combined with the case marking particle に, ばかり often expresses the idea of 'simply because' or 'just because'. The literal sense is that 'due to only (A), (B) occurred'. This grammar point is frequently used with verbs in their past tense to show that one action resulted in a subsequent outcome.
To form this pattern, connect ばかりに directly to the end of a word in its attributive form.
- 遅刻したばかりに、大事な会議に出られなかった。Simply because I was late, I couldn't attend the important meeting.
- 声が低いばかりに、よく男の子に間違えられた。Simply because my voice is deep, I was often mistaken for a boy.
- 正直なばかりに、友達を怒らせてしまった。Just because I was honest, I ended up making my friend angry.
- 学生であるばかりに、お金がなくて旅行に行けない。Simply because I'm a student, I don't have the money to go on trips.
It is important to know that this grammar structure is most often used when the outcome is negative. This is not a strict rule, however. It can also convey a strong sense of desire or enthusiasm when used with expressions like たい or ほしい.
- アイドルに会いたいばかりに、コンサートのチケットを何枚も買った。Wanting to see the idol so much, he bought several concert tickets.
- 限定のバッグが欲しいばかりに、朝早くから店に並んだ。She wanted the limited-edition bag so badly, she lined up at the store from early in the morning.
Fun Fact
As discussed in our lesson on ばかり, one of its original kanji is '許', which carries the meaning 'to permit' or 'to allow'. This suggests a minimum condition that is considered 'enough' for something to happen. ばかりに retains this nuance, emphasizing that the action in part (A) was the sole, minimal cause for the (often unexpected) outcome in part (B). For this reason, translations like 'just by doing (A), (B) happened' can effectively capture the meaning, especially when the cause-and-effect relationship is surprising.
- 近道をしたばかりに、逆に時間がかかってしまった。Even just from taking a shortcut, it ended up taking more time instead.
Fun Fact
The most common kanji associated with ばかり today is the same one used for 許す, meaning 'to forgive'. In this context, 許 still implies 'to permit' or 'to let pass', as the act of forgiving often involves letting an offense go or allowing it to pass.
- 彼の嘘を許すことはできない。I cannot forgive his lie.
Examples
少し寝坊したばかりに、電車に乗り遅れた。
Simply because I overslept a little, I missed the train.
鍵を落としてしまったばかりに、家に入れなくなった。
Just because I dropped my key, I was locked out of my house.
あの有名なケーキが食べたいばかりに、二時間も並んだ。
Solely because I wanted to eat that famous cake, I stood in line for two hours.
彼は不器用なばかりに、いつも怪我をしている。
Just because he's clumsy, he's always getting injured.
末っ子であったばかりに、雑用は全て私がやらされた。
Simply because I was the youngest child, I was made to do all the chores.
彼の言葉を信じたばかりに、大金を失うはめになった。
Just because I believed what he said, I ended up losing a lot of money.
値段が安かったばかりに、買ってすぐ壊れてしまった。
Simply because the price was cheap, I bought it and it broke right away.
天気予報を確認しなかったばかりに、傘も持たずに雨に降られてしまった。
Just because I didn't check the weather forecast, I got caught in the rain without an umbrella.
仕事で小さなミスを一つしたばかりに、部長にひどく怒られた。
Just because I made one small mistake at work, my boss got terribly angry with me.
少し遅刻したばかりに、最終バスを逃して歩いて帰るしかなかった。運が悪いね。
Simply because he was a little late, he missed the last bus and had no choice but to walk home. What bad luck.
女の子にモテたいばかりに、興味もないのにバンドを始めたらしい。
Just because he wants to be popular with girls, he apparently started a band he has no interest in.
欲張って一度に全部運ぼうとしたばかりに、全部落としてしまった。
Simply because I got greedy and tried to carry everything at once, I dropped it all.