～てばかりいる
Keep doing nothing but the same action
You’ll be able to criticize or emphasize an excessive habit of repeatedly doing one kind of thing.
蓮はキャンプに来ても、スマホを見てばかりいます。
ren wa kyanpu ni kite mo, sumaho o mite bakari imasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
Even on a camping trip, Ren does nothing but look at his phone.
Criticize someone doing nothing but one repeated action
Attach ～てばかりいる to the te-form of a verb to criticize someone constantly doing only one activity while neglecting responsibilities ("do nothing but...").
妹はお菓子を食べてばかりいる。
imouto wa okashi o tabete bakari iru.
My younger sister does nothing but eat snacks.
弟は漫画を読んでばかりいる。
otouto wa manga o yonde bakari iru.
My younger brother does nothing but read manga.
Attach ばかりいる to the te-form
Attach ばかりいる directly to the te-form of a verb. You can also place ばかり after a noun: <slot>noun</slot> + ばかり + <slot>verb (te-form)</slot> + いる.
文句を言ってばかりいないで、自分でも行動しなさい。
monku o itte bakari inaide, jibun de mo koudou shinasai.
Don't just keep complaining; take action yourself!
～だけ vs ～ばかり
～だけ simply says “only”. ～ばかり says someone does one thing again and again, too much, and it usually sounds critical.
～だけ, only (neutral)
休みの日は本を読んでいるだけだ。
yasumi no hi wa hon o yonde iru dake da.
On my days off I just read books.
Just a fact.
～てばかりいる, do nothing but
休みの日は本を読んでばかりいる。
yasumi no hi wa hon o yonde bakari iru.
On my days off I do nothing but read books.
Again and again; can sound critical.
謝ってばかりいないで、どうして失敗したのか一緒に考えてみよう。
ayamatte bakari inaide, doushite shippai shita no ka issho ni kangaete miyou.
Instead of just apologizing, let’s think together about why it went wrong.
祖父は医者に止められているのに、お酒を飲んでばかりいる。
sofu wa isha ni tomerarete iru noni, osake o nonde bakari iru.
Even though his doctor told him to stop, my grandfather does nothing but drink.
姉は毎月服を買ってばかりいて、ちっともお金を貯めない。
ane wa maitsuki fuku o katte bakari ite, chittomo okane o tamenai.
My older sister does nothing but buy clothes every month and never saves any money.
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