connective N2 uncommon politewritten
〜ばかりか〜(さえ) — not only ~ but even ~
〜ばかりか〜(さえ)
Builds on 〜ばかり
Meaning
- not only ~ but (even) ~ — names one thing, then adds a further, often more extreme or surprising item beyond it
Key sentence
彼は遅刻したばかりか、謝りもしなかった。
He not only showed up late but didn't even apologize.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / い-adjective (plain), Noun, な-adj + な | [A]ばかりか、[B]（さえ／も） | 大人ばかりか子どもさえ |
When: Written or formal speech. The second item is typically more extreme or unexpected than the first, and often carries さえ ('even') or も.
Examples
この薬は効かないばかりか、副作用さえある。
This medicine not only has no effect — it even has side effects.
彼女は英語ばかりか、アラビア語も話せる。
She speaks not only English but Arabic as well.
Easily confused with
〜だけでなく Same 'not only ~ but also ~' core. だけでなく is the everyday, neutral form; ばかりか is more literary and tends to pile on a surprising or extreme second item ('and even ~'). 〜ばかりでなく Near-synonym from the same ばかり root. ばかりでなく is plainer 'not only ~ but also'; ばかりか leans harder into the escalation, frequently closed with さえ. 〜さえ さえ ('even') is what usually marks the second, more extreme item inside this pattern: 〜ばかりか〜さえ.
See 〜ばかりか〜(さえ) in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ばかりか〜(さえ) the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.