たばかり
Meanings
- Just did
- Something that happened just now
- A short time ago
About this pattern
Explanation
たばかり attaches to a verb in its plain past form (た) to mean that something has just happened or has only recently occurred. It emphasizes freshness or immediacy of the event, similar to “have just …” or “just …ing” in English, but it does not express ongoing duration by itself. It is commonly used to explain a recent action or circumstance, often with a sense of immediacy or surprise, and can be used in both informal and polite contexts (たばかりです/です). Note that the verb must be in the past plain form (誤用の可能性がある非過去形には適用されません). For ongoing situations immediately following the event, you may combine with other expressions, but the core structure is verb-た + ばかり.
Learn in context
Example sentences
I have just come to Japan.
I just ate a moment ago.
He just left the house.
The exam just ended, so I’m still nervous.
I had just met a friend, and I was happy.
Keep studying
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