んばかりだ・
Someone looks on the very point of doing something, and doesn't: about to burst into tears, about to jump for joy. It is a writer's way to show how strong a feeling or a force is.
before a noun
She clutched the letter, looking as if she were about to burst into tears.
before a verb
He staggered as if about to collapse and put a hand against the wall.
How to form it
Verb ない-form: ない → んばかり する → せんばかり
泣かない → 泣かんばかり, 倒れない → 倒れんばかり. する is the one irregular: せんばかり, never しんばかり. The meaning is not negative: 泣かんばかり is "about to cry". Then に before a verb, の before a noun, だ at the end.
- Said about
- Mostly other people, things and scenes, described from outside.
- Often
- 割れんばかりの拍手 (thunderous applause), あふれんばかりの笑顔 (a beaming smile), 胸が張り裂けんばかりの悲しみ (heart-rending grief).
- Where you'll meet it
- Novels, essays, sports and feature writing. It is for reading: in conversation people say 泣きそうな顔 or 飛び上がるほど喜んだ.
In use
The child was so delighted he looked ready to jump for joy.
Holding down a rage that was ready to explode, he clenched his fists and said nothing.
爆発する → 爆発せん.
When my mother heard that I had passed, she looked ready to break into a dance.
Often with 今にも, "at any moment".
んばかり or とばかり?
My little sister waved so hard her arm looked ready to come off.
How hard she waves. A verb before んばかり: her arm looks on the very point of coming off, and doesn't.
My little sister waved as if to say "Over here!"
What her wave says. Words before とばかりに: she acts as if saying them, and says nothing.
と言わんばかりに is the two together: 言う with んばかり, "looking about to say". It means the same as とばかりに.
Close neighbours
とばかり（に）N1
Words before it, not a verb: "as if to say".
The audience burst into applause as if to say, "This is what we've been waiting for."
そうだN4
The everyday "looks about to", with no drama in it.
Dark clouds are hanging low, and it looks ready to rain at any moment.
ほど・くらいN3
The everyday measure of how much: "so … that".
I was so delighted by the exam result that I could have jumped for joy.
ばかりN3
The rest of the family, sorted by what comes before ばかり and after it: "nothing but", "about", "just because", "not only".
My little brother has been eating nothing but sweets lately, and our mother had a word with him about it.
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
弟は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
彼は
Choose an answer to see why.
3Which one fits?
子ども
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
The entrance was decorated with flowers that seemed ready to spill out of their vase.
The gale raged as if it would tear the trees up by the roots.
The old bridge was creaking as if it might collapse at any moment.
The audience rose to their feet with such force that they looked ready to surge onto the stage.