ばかり
🃏 Flashcard
ばかり
bakari
Tap to reveal usage
about, approximately
N2
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N2
Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage
Reading
bakari
Post ID
50997
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
about, approximately
📖 How to use it
ばかり is used after numbers to express approximation, meaning 'about' or 'approximately'.
Attaches to
Attach to a noun (usually a numeral or quantity word) directly. For example, 五つばかり (itsutsu bakari) or 百円ばかり (hyaku-en bakari).
This use of ばかり follows a quantity expression to indicate that the number is approximate, not exact. It is similar to ぐらい or ほど, but ばかり here sounds a bit more literary or old-fashioned. In everyday conversation, you are more likely to hear ぐらい. However, you will encounter this ばかり in written Japanese and formal speech.
Note that ばかり has another common meaning: 'only' or 'nothing but', as in 漫画ばかり読んでいる (I read only manga). That usage attaches to nouns or verbs in different patterns. Do not confuse them.
費用は千円ばかりかかりました。
Hiyō wa sen-en bakari kakarimashita.
The cost was about a thousand yen.
そこまで歩いて十分ばかりです。
Soko made aruite juppun bakari desu.
It's about ten minutes on foot from here.
残りはこればかりですので、すぐ終わります。
Nokori wa kore bakari desu node, sugu owarimasu.
There's only this much left, so it will be done soon.
Not ぐらい / ほど
ぐらい and ほど are more common and neutral for approximation. ばかり with numbers sounds slightly literary or old-fashioned, and is less common in casual speech.
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This usage is somewhat formal or written; in everyday conversation, ぐらい is more natural, though ばかり is not rude.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ばかり
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ばかり three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using ばかり. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N2 Patterns
← Previous
あるいは
or; either; maybe; perhaps; possibly
Next →
ばかりだ
continue to (go in negative direction)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ばかり mean?
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About, approximately
What JLPT level is ばかり?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use ばかり in a sentence?
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Attach ばかり (bakari) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is ばかり formal or casual Japanese?
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ばかり is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember ばかり long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.