〜ばかりに (bakari ni)

JLPT N2 All because of one thing — a small cause, a bad result.

Meaning

“Simply because ~ (and unfortunately …).” A single cause leads to a regrettable outcome.

Formation

Verb / い-adj (plain) + ばかりに

な-adj + な + ばかりに；Noun + である + ばかりに

Examples

一言よけいなことを言ったばかりに、彼を怒らせてしまった。

Hitokoto yokei na koto o itta bakari ni, kare o okorasete shimatta. — Just because I said one unnecessary word, I ended up making him angry.

保証書をなくしたばかりに、修理にお金がかかった。

Hoshōsho o nakushita bakari ni, shūri ni okane ga kakatta. — All because I lost the warranty, the repair cost me money.

準備をしなかったばかりに、試験に落ちた。

Junbi o shinakatta bakari ni, shiken ni ochita. — Simply because I didn't prepare, I failed the exam.

How it works

It emphasizes that one small cause led to a bad result, usually with regret. The tone is “if only that one thing hadn't happened.”

The result clause is almost always negative — a failure, a loss, or trouble.

Compared with similar expressions

• 〜ばかりに — “simply because,” a single cause → regrettable result

• 〜せいで — “because of,” assigns blame for a bad result

• 〜おかげで — “thanks to,” a good result

Common mistakes

• Don't use it for good results — that's 〜おかげで.

• Don't confuse with 〜たばかり (just did); ばかりに attaches to a plain clause and means “because.”

Related grammar

• 〜せいで — because of (negative)

• 〜おかげで — thanks to (positive)

• 〜てしまう — regret / completion