Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
Both connect an expected first item to an additional second item, but ばかりか adds something surprising or beyond normal expectations, while だけで(は)なく simply adds a parallel fact with no surprise element. Swapping them is unnatural when the second item is merely an equal addition—あの人はよく勉強するだけでなくよく遊ぶ sounds neutral, whereas ばかりか would wrongly imply playing a lot is unexpected. Use ばかりか when the second clause escalates beyond what you would normally guess.
- だけで(は)なく(も) Use だけで(は)なく when you are adding a parallel, unsurprising fact about the same subject.
- ばかりか（さえ） Use ばかりか when the second item is surprising or goes beyond normal expectations.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| だけで(は)なく(も) dakede ha naku mo | Not only... but also | N3 |
| ばかりか（さえ） bakarika sae | Not only ~ but also | N3 |
だけで(は)なく(も) dakede ha naku mo
Not only... but also
Not only ~ but also ~ | Not only X but also Y, where X and Y can be either a noun, a verb, or an adjective.
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あの人はよく勉強するだけで(は)なくよく遊ぶ・遊びます。
He not only studies hard, but also plays a lot.
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あの人は小説を読むだけではなく書きます。
He not only reads novels but also writes them.
ばかりか（さえ） bakarika sae
Not only ~ but also
Not only ~ but also | A compound particle/conjunction which is used to connect two nouns or two sentences, the first of which is something normally expected and the second of which is something normally unexpected.
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あの人は絵を見て楽しむばかりか、自分でも絵を描く。
He not only enjoys looking at pictures; he also draws them.
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アメリカでは大学生ばかりか、中学生、高校生さえ日本語を勉強している。
In America not only college students but even junior and senior high school students are studying Japanese.
だけで(は)なく(も) and ばかりか（さえ） are both JLPT N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.