JLPT N2 grammar

〜たいばかりにmeaning and usage

Meaning

Solely because (someone) wants to A, B

How to form it

  • verb (masu-stem)たいばかりに
  • verb (masu-stem)たくないばかりに

How it is used

Says that a strong wish (or wish to avoid something) alone drove someone to do what they normally would not, often at real cost or unwisely. It is 「〜ばかりに」 narrowed to a desire.

Examples

  1. 彼は遊びたいばかりに走って帰っていった。

    He ran home simply because he wanted to play.

  2. 好きな歌手に会いたいばかりに、片道五時間かけて会場まで行った。

    Just because I wanted to see my favourite singer, I travelled five hours one way to get to the venue.

  3. 怒られたくないばかりに、本当のことが言えなかった。

    Just because I didn't want to get told off, I couldn't tell the truth.