LEARN + JAPANESE / Note 102 JLPT N4
Nothing But (しか・ばかり)
しか and ばかり both narrow things down like だけ, which you already know, but each adds its own flavor. しか always pairs with a negative verb to state the same limit from the other direction. ばかり adds judgment, usually complaining that something happens too much.
There's nothing but a TV.
I only talk to my older brother (and no one else).
In Real Life
しか always demands a negative verb right after it, テレビしかあります is simply wrong, and the negative is what carries the “nothing but” meaning, not しか by itself. It tends to land with more emphasis than だけ, closer to “nothing else at all.”
My younger brother eats nothing but sweets every day.
Actually, I only just started last week.
In Real Life
ばかり attached to a noun, お菓子ばかり, means “nothing but sweets,” usually with a hint of disapproval. Attached to a verb’s past-tense た-form instead, たばかり means something completely different, “just did it a moment ago,” so watch which form comes right before ばかり.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| sweets, snacks | |
| to be late (for an event) | |
| to brush teeth | |
| just now, a moment ago | |
| actually, in fact | |
| to smoke, inhale | |
| conversation | |
| to go around | |
| to be late (for a time) | |
| promise, appointment | |
| to order | |
| to go outside | |
| nearby | |
| to complain | |
| dissatisfaction | |
| to emphasize | |
| to restrict, limit to | |
| just, only (emphatic) | |
| the remainder, what's left | |
| frequently |