〜ばかりか — JLPT N2 Grammar

Learn how to use 〜ばかりか (bakari ka) to express 'not only ~ but even ~' with an emphasis on escalating or surprising addition. Includes structure, nuance, examples, and comparisons.

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Pattern

Noun + ばかりか、~ も / さえ / まで + [verb/predicate] V-plain / Adj-plain + ばかりか、~ も / さえ / まで + [verb/predicate]

The element after ばかりか (introduced with も, さえ, or まで) is the surprising or more extreme additional item. The predicate applies to both items.

Formality

Neutral to Formal. ばかりか is used in both written and spoken Japanese. It is more emphatic than だけでなく and tends to appear in contexts where the speaker wants to express surprise or intensification. Common in essays, journalism, and formal speech.

Meaning

Not only ~ but even ~; not just ~ but also ~ (surprisingly)

〜ばかりか adds a second, often more extreme or unexpected item to the first. The strong nuance is one of escalation or surprise: "it's not just X — it's even Y." The second item typically represents a greater degree, a wider scope, or a more unexpected extension of the first.

Explanation

ばかりか is composed of ばかり (limit particle: "only; just; nothing but") + か (question particle used here for rhetorical effect). Together, the phrase carries a sense of "not only [just] X but..." The rhetorical question nuance of か makes it feel as though the speaker is saying "would you believe it — not just X, but also Y."

The defining characteristic of ばかりか is its escalatory or intensifying force. The second item (introduced by も, さえ, or まで) is typically more extreme, more unexpected, or of greater scale than the first. This is what distinguishes ばかりか from the neutral だけでなく:

  • だけでなく: simply adds — "not only A, but also B."
  • ばかりか: escalates — "not only A, but even B (which is more than you'd expect)."

For negative escalation: 失敗したばかりか、謝りもしなかった (not only did he fail, but he didn't even apologize). For positive escalation: 日本語ができるばかりか、通訳まできる (not only can she speak Japanese, she can even interpret).

The particle after the second item is often さえ ("even") or まで ("even; as far as"), which amplifies the sense of surprise. も is the more neutral choice.

Example Sentences

  1. 彼は日本語ばかりか、中国語まで話せる。 Kare wa nihongo bakari ka, chuugokugo made hanaseru. Not only can he speak Japanese, but he can even speak Chinese.

  2. その事故は怪我人が出たばかりか、死者まで出てしまった。 Sono jiko wa keganin ga deta bakari ka, shisha made dete shimatta. Not only were there injured people in the accident, but there were even fatalities.

  3. 彼女は料理ができるばかりか、絵まで上手に描ける。 Kanojo wa ryouri ga dekiru bakari ka, e made jouzu ni kakeru. Not only can she cook, she can even draw beautifully.

  4. 問題が解決しないばかりか、さらに悪化してしまった。 Mondai ga kaiketsu shinai bakari ka, sara ni akka shite shimatta. Not only has the problem not been resolved, but it has gotten even worse.

  5. この製品は品質が高いばかりか、価格まで手頃だ。 Kono seihin wa hinshitsu ga takai bakari ka, kakaku made tegoro da. This product is not only high quality, but even the price is affordable.

  6. 彼は試験に落ちたばかりか、面接でも失敗した。 Kare wa shiken ni ochita bakari ka, mensetsu de mo shippai shita. Not only did he fail the written exam, but he also failed the interview.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Reversing the escalation order. The item after ばかりか should be more extreme, more surprising, or of greater scope than the item before. If the order is reversed (more extreme before ばかりか, less extreme after), the sentence sounds unnatural.

  • Awkward: 死者まで出たばかりか、怪我人も出た。(More extreme item first — escalation is broken.)
  • Natural: 怪我人が出たばかりか、死者まで出た。(Builds from injury to death — proper escalation.)

Mistake 2: Omitting the second-item particle (も / さえ / まで). The second item after ばかりか needs a particle to signal it. Without も, さえ, or まで, the sentence feels incomplete and ungrammatical.

Compare With

Pattern Meaning Key Difference
〜ばかりか not only ~ but even ~ (escalating) Escalatory force; B is more extreme or unexpected than A. Neutral to formal.
〜だけでなく not only ~ but also Neutral addition; no escalatory nuance. B is simply an additional item. Casual to formal.
〜はもとより not only A (obvious), but also B A is so obvious it goes without saying; focus on B as the main point. Formal.
〜のみならず not only ~ but also Very formal equivalent of だけでなく. No escalation nuance. Used in academic/official writing.
〜にとどまらず not limited to ~, beyond ~ Emphasizes that something goes beyond a certain boundary. Similar escalation to ばかりか but more formal and less common.

The escalation test: Ask yourself — is the second item more extreme, more unexpected, or of greater scale than the first? If yes, ばかりか is appropriate. If the two items are simply parallel additions of equal weight, だけでなく is more appropriate.