just because (with a bad result)

ばかりに means that just because of one thing, an unfortunate result followed. Attach it to a plain-form verb/adjective, a noun with である, or a na-adjective with な. The speaker usually regrets the outcome.

Examples

• 嘘うそをついたばかりに、信用しんようを失うしなった。

  Uso o tsuita bakari ni, shin'you o ushinatta.

  Just because I told a lie, I lost their trust.

• 道みちを間違まちがえたばかりに、遅刻ちこくした。

  Michi o machigaeta bakari ni, chikoku shita.

  Simply because I took the wrong road, I was late.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 信用 trust, credit
• 道 road; way
• 間違える to make a mistake
• 遅刻 being late, tardiness
• する to do

Related patterns · Cause and reason

• 〜だけに precisely because; being... all the more
• 〜ものだから because; the reason is that (excuse)
• 〜あまり out of too much; so... that
• 〜ことだから since it's... (knowing how they are)