Mastering the Japanese Grammar Point 〜たばかり (Just Did)
If you’re learning Japanese, you’ve likely encountered situations where you want to express that you’ve “just done” something. Enter 〜たばかり (ta bakari), a handy grammar point that allows you to convey exactly that! Whether you’re talking about finishing a meal, starting a new job, or arriving at a location, 〜たばかり is essential for natural-sounding Japanese.
This grammar point is widely used in both spoken and written Japanese, making it a must-know for learners. In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know about 〜たばかり, including its formation, usage, common mistakes, and plenty of examples to help you master it.
When to Use 〜たばかり (Just Did)
〜たばかり is used to express that an action has just been completed. It emphasizes that the action happened very recently, often with the implication that the effects or results are still fresh.
Example Sentences:
- 食べたばかりです。
Tabeta bakari desu.
I just ate. - 日本に来たばかりです。
Nihon ni kita bakari desu.
I just came to Japan. - 宿題を終わったばかりだ。
Shukudai o owatta bakari da.
I just finished my homework.
Formation & Structure
The formation of 〜たばかり is straightforward. It’s attached to the past tense (た-form) of verbs. Let’s break it down for all three types of verbs: Godan verbs, Ichidan verbs, and Irregular verbs.
1. Godan Verbs (五段動詞):
These verbs end in -u, -ku, -gu, -su, -tsu, -nu, -bu, -mu, or -ru (but not -eru or -iru).
- 行く (iku) → 行った (itta) → 行ったばかり (itta bakari)
Example:
電車が出たばかりです。
Densha ga deta bakari desu.
The train just left. - 飲む (nomu) → 飲んだ (nonda) → 飲んだばかり (nonda bakari)
Example:
コーヒーを飲んだばかりだ。
Koohii o nonda bakari da.
I just drank coffee.
2. Ichidan Verbs (一段動詞):
These verbs end in -eru or -iru.
- 食べる (taberu) → 食べた (tabeta) → 食べたばかり (tabeta bakari)
Example:
ご飯を食べたばかりです。
Gohan o tabeta bakari desu.
I just ate a meal. - 見る (miru) → 見た (mita) → 見たばかり (mita bakari)
Example:
映画を見たばかりだ。
Eiga o mita bakari da.
I just watched a movie.
3. Irregular Verbs (不規則動詞):
These verbs don’t follow standard conjugation rules.
- する (suru) → した (shita) → したばかり (shita bakari)
Example:
勉強をしたばかりです。
Benkyou o shita bakari desu.
I just studied. - 来る (kuru) → 来た (kita) → 来たばかり (kita bakari)
Example:
日本に来たばかりです。
Nihon ni kita bakari desu.
I just came to Japan.
Conjugation with Nouns and Adjectives:
While 〜たばかり is primarily used with verbs, it can also be used with nouns and adjectives in specific contexts.
Nouns:
- Noun + だった + ばかり
Example:
学生だったばかりです。
Gakusei datta bakari desu.
I was just a student.
Adjectives:
- い-Adjective (past tense) + ばかり
Example:
暑かったばかりです。
Atsukatta bakari desu.
It was just hot. - な-Adjective (past tense) + ばかり
Example:
静かだったばかりです。
Shizuka datta bakari desu.
It was just quiet.
Grammar Rules
Here’s a breakdown of the key rules for using 〜たばかり:
- Attach to the Past Tense: Always use the た-form of the verb before adding ばかり.
- Example: 書く (kaku) → 書いた (kaita) → 書いたばかり (kaita bakari)
- No Time Gap: 〜たばかり implies that the action was completed very recently. Avoid using it for actions that happened a long time ago.
- Formal vs. Informal:
- Formal: 〜たばかりです (ta bakari desu)
- Informal: 〜たばかりだ (ta bakari da)
Usage
〜たばかり is versatile and can be used in various contexts:
- Daily Conversations:
- 買い物をしたばかりです。
Kaimono o shita bakari desu.
I just went shopping.
- 買い物をしたばかりです。
- Written Language:
- 彼は大学を卒業したばかりだ。
Kare wa daigaku o sotsugyou shita bakari da.
He just graduated from university.
- 彼は大学を卒業したばかりだ。
- Formal Situations:
- 会議が終わったばかりです。
Kaigi ga owatta bakari desu.
The meeting just ended.
- 会議が終わったばかりです。
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Here are some common errors learners make with 〜たばかり and how to fix them:
- Incorrect Tense:
- Wrong: 食べるばかりです。
Taberu bakari desu. - Correct: 食べたばかりです。
Tabeta bakari desu.
(I just ate.)
- Wrong: 食べるばかりです。
- Using 〜たばかり for Old Actions:
- Wrong: 去年、日本に来たばかりです。
Kyonen, Nihon ni kita bakari desu. - Correct: 先週、日本に来たばかりです。
Senshuu, Nihon ni kita bakari desu.
(I just came to Japan last week.)
- Wrong: 去年、日本に来たばかりです。
Example Table
| Part of Speech | Word | Example Sentence | Romaji | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | 食べる (taberu) | 彼はご飯を食べたばかりです。 | Kare wa gohan o tabeta bakari desu. | He just ate a meal. |
| Verb | 行く (iku) | 空港に着いたばかりです。 | Kuukou ni tsuita bakari desu. | I just arrived at the airport. |
| Verb | 読む (yomu) | この本を読んだばかりだ。 | Kono hon o yonda bakari da. | I just read this book. |
| Verb | 書く (kaku) | 手紙を書いたばかりです。 | Tegami o kaita bakari desu. | I just wrote a letter. |
| Verb | 見る (miru) | 映画を見たばかりです。 | Eiga o mita bakari desu. | I just watched a movie. |
| Noun | 仕事 (shigoto) | 仕事が終わったばかりです。 | Shigoto ga owatta bakari desu. | I just finished work. |
| Noun | 旅行 (ryokou) | 旅行から帰ったばかりです。 | Ryokou kaeratta bakari desu. | I just returned from a trip. |
| Noun | 宿題 (shukudai) | 宿題を終わったばかりだ。 | Shukudai o owatta bakari da. | I just finished my homework. |
| Noun | 会議 (kaigi) | 会議が終わったばかりです。 | Kaigi ga owatta bakari desu. | The meeting just ended. |
| Noun | 電話 (denwa) | 電話をかけたばかりだ。 | Denwa o kaketa bakari da. | I just made a phone call. |
More Examples Sentence
- 彼は結婚したばかりです。
Kare wa kekkon shita bakari desu.
He just got married. - このケーキを焼いたばかりです。
Kono keeki o yaita bakari desu.
I just baked this cake. - 電車が出たばかりだ。
Densha ga deta bakari da.
The train just left. - 彼女は泣いたばかりです。
Kanojo wa naita bakari desu.
She just cried. - 新しい仕事を始めたばかりだ。
Atarashii shigoto o hajimeta bakari da.
I just started a new job. - この本を買ったばかりです。
Kono hon o katta bakari desu.
I just bought this book. - 彼は出かけたばかりです。
Kare wa dekaketa bakari desu.
He just went out. - 昼ごはんを食べたばかりだ。
Hirugohan o tabeta bakari da.
I just ate lunch. - 映画館に着いたばかりです。
Eigakan ni tsuita bakari desu.
I just arrived at the movie theater. - 宿題を提出したばかりです。
Shukudai o teishutsu shita bakari desu.
I just submitted my homework.
Practice Exercises
- 彼は大学を______ばかりです。
Kare wa daigaku o ______ bakari desu.
(He just graduated from university.) - このケーキを______ばかりです。
Kono keeki o ______ bakari desu.
(I just baked this cake.) - 電車が______ばかりだ。
Densha ga ______ bakari da.
(The train just left.) - 彼女は______ばかりです。
Kanojo wa ______ bakari desu.
(She just cried.) - 新しい仕事を______ばかりだ。
Atarashii shigoto o ______ bakari da.
(I just started a new job.) - この本を______ばかりです。
Kono hon o ______ bakari desu.
(I just bought this book.) - 彼は______ばかりです。
Kare wa ______ bakari desu.
(He just went out.) - 昼ごはんを______ばかりだ。
Hirugohan o ______ bakari da.
(I just ate lunch.) - 映画館に______ばかりです。
Eigakan ni ______ bakari desu.
(I just arrived at the movie theater.) - 宿題を______ばかりです。
Shukudai o ______ bakari desu.
(I just submitted my homework.)
Answers:
- 卒業した
彼は大学を卒業したばかりです。
Kare wa daigaku o sotsugyou shita bakari desu. - 焼いた
このケーキを焼いたばかりです。
Kono keeki o yaita bakari desu. - 出た
電車が出たばかりだ。
Densha ga deta bakari da. - 泣いた
彼女は泣いたばかりです。
Kanojo wa naita bakari desu. - 始めた
新しい仕事を始めたばかりだ。
Atarashii shigoto o hajimeta bakari da. - 買った
この本を買ったばかりです。
Kono hon o katta bakari desu. - 出かけた
彼は出かけたばかりです。
Kare wa dekaketa bakari desu. - 食べた
昼ごはんを食べたばかりだ。
Hirugohan o tabeta bakari da. - 着いた
映画館に着いたばかりです。
Eigakan ni tsuita bakari desu. - 提出した
宿題を提出したばかりです。
Shukudai o teishutsu shita bakari desu.
Conclusion
Mastering 〜たばかり is a game-changer for expressing recent actions in Japanese. By understanding its formation, usage, and common pitfalls, you’ll be able to use this grammar point confidently in both spoken and written contexts. Remember to practice regularly and incorporate it into your daily conversations to reinforce your learning.
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Happy learning! 😊
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Vikas Kumar is a multilingual educator, language specialist, and book author, and the founder of My Language Classes, an independent language learning platform dedicated to structured, clarity-driven language education.
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