JLPT N4Everyday

たばかりだonly just; just (did)

Something happened, and to you it still feels recent. That can be a minute ago or six months ago, so English says "just" or "only".

今いま、空くう港こうに着ついたばかりです。

I have just arrived at the airport.

彼かれは二にか月げつ前まえに店てん長ちょうになったばかりです。

He became the store manager only two months ago.

買かったばかりの靴くつを雨あめでぬらしてしまいました。

I got my shoes wet in the rain, and I'd only just bought them.

How to form it

Verb in the た-form + ばかりだ

来くる → 来きたばかりだ. It has to be the た-form. After a noun, a て-form or a dictionary form, ばかり means something else.

Before a noun

Verb in the た-form + ばかりの + noun

買かったばかりの靴くつ

Joining on

たばかりで・たばかりなので・たばかりなのに

It behaves like a noun, so な comes before ので and のに.

How recent is recent?

There is no limit in minutes or days. What counts is that it feels recent for that kind of thing: breakfast an hour ago, a new job two months ago, a move abroad last year. You can say when it was.

朝あさご飯はんを食たべたばかりなので、まだおなかがすいていません。

I've only just had breakfast, so I'm not hungry yet.

この会かい社しゃに入はいったばかりです。

I only recently joined this company.

私わたしは半はん年とし前まえに日本にほんへ来きたばかりで、まだ電でん車しゃの乗のり換かえに慣なれていません。

I came to Japan only six months ago, so I am still not used to changing trains.

Only just, so…

It usually leads somewhere. You only just did it, so something isn't so yet (まだ). Or you only just did it, and something has come too soon (のに, もう).

先せん週しゅう買かったばかりなので、まだ使つかい方かたがよく分わかりません。

I only bought it last week, so I still don't really know how to use it.

So, not yet.

先せん週しゅう買かったばかりなのに、もう壊こわれてしまいました。

I only bought it last week, and it has already broken.

And yet, already.

Before a noun

With の, it describes a thing or a person: brand new, newly arrived, newly opened.

入にゅう社しゃしたばかりの社しゃ員いんにも、丁てい寧ねいに仕し事ごとを教おしえてください。

Please take care to show staff who have only just joined how to do the work, too.

駅えき前まえにできたばかりのカフェに行いってみました。

I tried the cafe that has just opened in front of the station.

たばかり or たところ?

たところ is the moment right after, usually seconds or minutes ago: a report of where things stand now. たばかり says it still feels recent to you, whether that was a minute ago or a month ago.

先せん月げつ日本にほんに来きたばかりです。

I only came to Japan last month.

Not said: 先せん月げつ日本にほんに来きたところです。

(I only came to Japan last month.)

A month ago is no longer the moment right after.

When it really was a moment ago, both are fine.

今いま、駅えきに着ついたところです。

I've just arrived at the station.

Where things stand: you are at the station now.

今いま、駅えきに着ついたばかりです。

I've only just arrived at the station.

How little time has passed: you only just got here.

Close neighbours

たところだN4

The moment right after. With other verb forms, ところだ is "about to" and "in the middle of".

ちょうど晩ばんご飯はんを食たべたところです。

I've just had dinner.

ばかりN3

The same word after a noun or a て-form: "nothing but", often as a complaint.

弟おとうとは宿しゅく題だいをしないで、ゲームをしてばかりいる。

My little brother does nothing but play games instead of doing his homework.

ばかりだN3

The same word after a dictionary form: a change that only goes one way.

物ぶっ価かは毎まい月つき上あがるばかりだ。

Prices just keep going up every month.

Check yourself

1How long ago could the wedding have been?

兄あには結けっ婚こんしたばかりです。

Choose an answer to see why.

2"This is the bag I only just bought."

これは（　　）かばんです。

Choose an answer to see why.

3"Our baby was only born last year."

去きょ年ねん、子こどもが生うまれた（　　）です。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

In conversation

ばかり is often said ばっかり.

さっきご飯はんを食たべたばっかりだよ。

I only just ate.

More sentences

大だい学がくを卒そつ業ぎょうしたばかりで、まだ将しょう来らいのことは決きめていません。

I've only just graduated from college, and I haven't decided about my future yet.

新あたらしいパソコンを買かったばかりなのに、もう画が面めんに傷きずがついた。

I only just bought a new computer, and the screen is already scratched.

三さんか月げつ前まえに店みせを開ひらいたばかりなので、まだ常じょう連れん客きゃくは多おおくありません。

We opened the shop only three months ago, so we do not have many regular customers yet.

この町まちへ引ひっ越こしたばかりだから、また別べつの町まちへ移うつるのは早はやすぎます。

I only just moved to this town, so it's too soon to move to another.

Compared with similar forms

About to, in the middle of, just did