ばかり

• ばっか (bakka)
• ばっかり (bakkari)
• ばかし (bakashi)
• ばっかし (bakkashi)

Shift from noun 計(はか)り, 測(はか)り, 量(はか)り (hakari, “measurement, amount, full amount”), the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 計(はか)る, 測(はか)る, 量(はか)る (hakaru, “to measure, to weigh, to calculate”).^[1][2] The meaning seems to have shifted from amount to fully, and from there to just or only.

• (Tokyo) ばかり [báꜜkàrì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ba̠ka̠ɾʲi]

ばかり • (bakari)  (adverbial)

1. just; only; nothing but

   Synonyms: だけ (dake), のみ (nomi)

   謎(なぞ)は深(ふか)まるばかりだ。

   Nazo wa fukamaru bakari da.

   The mystery only deepens.

   今回(こんかい)ばかりはよくやった。

   Konkai bakari wa yoku yatta.

   Nothing but well done this time.

2. (in the form 〜てばかりいる (~te bakari iru)) only, always (doing something)

   彼(かれ)は食(た)べてばかりいる。

   Kare wa tabete bakari iru.

   He's always eating.

   落(お)ち込(こ)んでばかりいずに前(まえ)に進(すす)もう。

   Ochikonde bakari izu ni mae ni susumō.

   Take action instead of moping all day.

3. full of nothing but [with a noun]

   東(とう)京(きょう)は人(ひと)ばかりだ。

   Tōkyō wa hito bakari da.

   Tokyo is just full of people.

4. just (recently completed action) [with past verb]

   食(た)べたばかりだ。 ― Tabeta bakari da. ― I just ate.

5. roughly, about [with a number]
   • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 27, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:

     一(いっ)週(しゅう)間(かん)ばかりして私(わたくし)はまたＫ(ケイ)とお嬢(じょう)さんがいっしょに話(はな)している室(へや)を通(とお)り抜(ぬ)けました。

     Isshūkan bakari shite watakushi wa mata Kei to O-jō-san ga issho ni hanashite iru heya o tōrinukemashita.

     After about a week I again passed through the room as K and O-jō-san were talking together.

• 歌(うた)にばかり歌(うた)う (uta ni bakari utau)