～ばかりだ JLPT N2 Formal
〜bakari da
Express a continuing state or negative tendency; 'just', 'only', 'always'.
"Nothing but getting worse/only continuing to..." - describes a one-directional negative trend.
Formation
Verb-てform + ばかりだ, い-Adjective + ばかりだ, な-Adjective + ばかりだ, Noun + ばかりだ
Explanation
The ～ばかりだ grammar point is used to express a continuing or unchanging state, often emphasizing a negative or undesired tendency. It can be translated as 'just', 'only', or 'always' in English. The formation differs depending on whether it is used with a verb, い-adjective, な-adjective, or noun.
Example sentences
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He is always complaining.
Kare wa monku wo itte bakari da.
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This movie isn't interesting, and I'm just bored.
Kono eiga wa omoshirokunakute, taikutsu shite bakari da.
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She is always just idling around with nothing to do.
Kanojo wa hima de iru bakari da.
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Lately, it’s just been one failure at work after another.
Saikin, shigoto no shippai bakari da.