How 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 | Used to say something is true of one thing and additionally of another | N3 |
| ばかりか（さえ） bakarika sae | not just that, but in addition | N3 |
だけで(は)なく(も) dakede ha naku mo
Used to say something is true of one thing and additionally of another
だけでなく means not only X but also Y and adds a second item alongside the first. It follows nouns directly, as in 英語だけでなく, and follows verbs in dictionary form and i-adjectives, as in 教えるだけでなく and 美しいだけでなく. Na-adjectives and nouns in formal style can use であるだけでなく. The second clause usually contains も, and だけじゃなく is the casual spoken version.
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彼女は彼に食べ物だけでなく金も与えた。
She gave him money as well as food.
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英語だけじゃなくフランス語の勉強もしてるんだ。
I study French in addition to English.
ばかりか（さえ） bakarika sae
not just that, but in addition
ばかりか marks one situation as true while adding another, often stronger or more unexpected situation, with the sense of not only that but also something more. It follows plain form verbs as in 食べるばかりか, plain form i-adjectives, and na-adjectives plus である, while nouns and pronouns may attach directly as in 君ばかりか or take である, and set phrases include ときばかりか and そればかりか. The following clause commonly contains も, まで, or さえ to stress the addition, and the pattern is common in formal writing.
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彼女は美人であるばかりか気立てもいい。
She is not only beautiful but also amiable.
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労働はただ単に必要なものであるばかりか、楽しみでもある。
Labor is not merely a necessity but a pleasure.
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 on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.