connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜ばかりでなく — not only ~ but also ~
〜ばかりでなく ・ ばかりでなく
Builds on 〜ばかり
Meaning
- not only ~ but also ~ — adds a further, often bigger item beyond the first; the formal counterpart of だけでなく
Key sentence
彼は医者であるばかりでなく、作家でもある。
He is not only a doctor but also a writer.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + ばかりでなく | 国内ばかりでなく |
| Verb / adjective (plain) | V(plain)/A + ばかりでなく; な-adj + な + ばかりでなく | 値段が高いばかりでなく |
When: More formal and written than だけでなく; common in essays, news, and speeches. In casual conversation, だけでなく is more natural.
Examples
この制度は学生ばかりでなく、社会人にも役立つ。
This system benefits not only students but working adults as well.
台風は農業ばかりでなく、交通にも影響を与えた。
The typhoon affected not only farming but transport too.
Easily confused with
〜だけでなく Identical 'not only ~ but also' meaning. ばかりでなく is the more formal/literary version; だけでなく is the neutral everyday one used in speech and writing alike. 〜ばかり Plain ばかり means 'nothing but ~' (one thing fills everything). ばかりでなく negates that — 'not just ~,' opening the door to additional items.
Notes
- The added item in the second clause normally takes も ('also'): 〜ばかりでなく、〜も.
See 〜ばかりでなく in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ばかりでなく the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Editorial confidence: medium.