～ばかりに — Simply Because (Regret)
Expresses that 'simply/just because of X,' an unfortunate or regrettable result followed. It emphasizes that one specific cause — often a small mistake or single condition — led to a bad outcome, usually with a tone of regret or blame. The result clause is negative.
Structure
[Plain form] + ばかりに / [な-adj な／である] + ばかりに / [Noun である] + ばかりに
Examples
パスポートを忘れたばかりに、旅行に行けなかった。
Pasupooto o wasureta bakari ni, ryokou ni ikenakatta.
Just because I forgot my passport, I couldn't go on the trip.
忘れた + ばかりに links one small mistake to a regrettable result
彼は正直に話したばかりに、罰を受けた。
Kare wa shoujiki ni hanashita bakari ni, batsu o uketa.
Simply because he spoke honestly, he was punished.
ばかりに stresses that the single cause led to an unfair bad outcome
お金がないばかりに、大学をあきらめた。
Okane ga nai bakari ni, daigaku o akirameta.
Just because I had no money, I gave up on university.
ばかりに expresses regret that this one condition caused the outcome
• The result clause is almost always negative/regrettable. • Carries a tone of 'if only that one thing had been different.' • Do not confuse with ばかり (only) — the に and negative result are the key markers.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～ばかりに is tested against.
vs ～せいで
せいで also blames a cause for a bad result, but ばかりに stresses that it was just one specific/minor thing that unexpectedly triggered it, with stronger regret.
vs ～から／ので
から/ので give neutral reasons; ばかりに specifically emphasizes a regrettable cause-and-effect over a single point.
More cause & effect
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