sensushiClassroom

N2 — outside your level filter

てばかりいる

てばかりいるte bakari iruN2neutral

savor + (and…) + does nothing but do X

ajiwatte bakari iru

does nothing but do X (habitual excess, disapproving)

meaning: do nothing but savor

Same meaning

  • 味あじわう
  • 〜てばかりいる
  • 味あじわってばかりいる

彼かれは会議かいぎで文句もんくを味あじわってばかりいる。

kare wa kaigi de monku o ajiwatte bakari iru.

In meetings, he does nothing but savor. neutral

またゲームしてばかり！たまには外そとで遊あそびなよ。

mata geemu shite bakari! tama ni wa soto de asobi na yo.

All you ever do is play games again! Go play outside once in a while. casual

Same meaning14

only; nothing but

All examples3

does nothing but do X — a habit crowding out everything else, disapprovingly

  1. 彼かれは会議かいぎで文句もんくを言いってばかりいる。

    kare wa kaigi de monku o itte bakari iru.

    In meetings, he does nothing but complain. neutral

  2. またゲームしてばかり！たまには外そとで遊あそびなよ。

    mata geemu shite bakari! tama ni wa soto de asobi na yo.

    All you ever do is play games again! Go play outside once in a while. casual

  3. 入社にゅうしゃ当時とうじは、先輩せんぱいに頼たよってばかりいて、お恥はずかしい限かぎりです。

    nyuusha touji wa, senpai ni tayotte bakari ite, o hazukashii kagiri desu.

    When I first joined the company I am embarrassed to say I did nothing but lean on my seniors. formal

How it's formed1

All forms5

  • てばかりだtebakaridacolloquial

    味あじわってばかりだ

    いる drops out and だ closes the sentence instead — 弟おとうとはゲームしてばかりだ. Heard in speech and casual writing; てばかりいる is what a report would print.

  • てばかりいないでtebakariinaidealternant

    味あじわってばかりいないで

    the standing telling-off — 文句もんくを言いってばかりいないで、自分じぶんでやってみたら "quit just complaining and try it yourself"; the で hands the sentence straight to an order or a suggestion.

  • pastてばかりいたtebakariita

    味あじわってばかりいた

  • politeてばかりいますtebakariimasu

    味あじわってばかりいます

  • negativeてばかりいないtebakariinai

    味あじわってばかりいない

Notes

The judgment is never neutral — blame, regret or self-reproach. A flat
"he plays a lot of games" is よくゲームをする, not this pattern.