～ばかりか～（さえ）

• Reading: ばかりか
• Romaji: bakarika
• Formation: Noun + ばかりか / Verb (plain form) + ばかりか / い-Adj + ばかりか / な-Adj + な/である + ばかりか

Meaning

A compound particle meaning 'not only... but also' or 'not only... but even.' It connects two statements where the second is more surprising or extreme than the first.

ばかりか presents two facts in escalation — the first is already noteworthy, and the second surpasses it. When paired with さえ or も in the second clause, the emphasis on the surprising addition becomes stronger. It is similar to だけでなく but carries more emotional weight and a sense of exceeding expectations, often negative ones. ばかりか can follow nouns directly, verbs in plain form, い-adjectives, and な-adjectives. Learners sometimes confuse it with ばかりに (because of doing nothing but ~), which has a completely different meaning of cause and regret.

Examples

1. 彼は英語ばかりか中国語も話せる。 He can speak not only English but also Chinese.
2. 今月は残業が増えたばかりか休日出勤まである。 Not only has overtime increased this month, but there's even weekend work.
3. その店は味がいいばかりかサービスも素晴らしい。 Not only does that restaurant taste good, the service is also wonderful.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 彼女は歌がうまいばかりかピアノも弾ける。
• 物価が上がったばかりか給料まで減った。
• あの映画は脚本がいいばかりか映像も美しい。
• 風邪をひいたばかりか熱さえ出てしまった。

Don't Say

• 彼は英語ばかりに中国語も話せる。(Using ばかりに instead of ばかりか — ばかりに means 'just because' and implies regret, a completely different meaning) → 彼は英語ばかりか中国語も話せる。
• 今月は残業が増えたばかりか休日出勤もある。(Omitting まで or さえ weakens the escalation — adding まで or さえ better conveys the 'even' emphasis) → 今月は残業が増えたばかりか休日出勤まである。

Origin & History

Composed of ばかり (only, nothing but) and the question particle か, creating a rhetorical structure meaning 'is it only...?' The implied answer is no, leading to the 'not only' interpretation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal