What it means
ばかりで expresses that someone or something consists almost entirely of one action, state, or type of thing, often with a negative or critical nuance. It commonly suggests excess or a lack of balance, and the sentence frequently continues by describing an undesirable result or something that is not done. With verbs, it follows the て-form; with nouns, it follows the noun directly.
Usage note
ばかりで is not always a neutral equivalent of “only.” It often criticizes the situation as excessive or one-sided. Do not confuse verb + てばかりで with verb dictionary form + ばかり, which usually means “just about to do” or “have just done,” depending on context.
How to use it
弟は文句ばかりで、宿題をしません。
My younger brother only complains and does not do his homework.
彼は遊んでばかりで、勉強しません。
He does nothing but play and does not study.
弟は文句ばかりで、宿題をしない。
My younger brother only complains and does not do his homework.
彼は遊んでばかりで、勉強しない。
He does nothing but play and does not study.
Example sentences
弟は休日にゲームをしてばかりで、宿題を全然しません。
My younger brother does nothing but play video games on his days off, and he does not do his homework at all.
会議では問題点を指摘してばかりで、具体的な解決策が出ませんでした。
At the meeting, people only pointed out problems, and no concrete solutions were proposed.
この店は高い商品ばかりで、学生には