んばかり（に） (nbakari ni)

Meaning & usage

んばかり（に）describes an action done as if something were just about to happen, often with strong emotion. It attaches to the negative form of a verb without ない, i.e. the verb's 未然形 plus ん (気も狂わん, 言わん), followed by ばかり, usually with に. It is a literary, dramatic expression common in written Japanese.

Example sentences 8

1. 彼女かのじょはその知しらせを聞きいて、気きも狂くるわんばかりに喜よろこんだ。

   She went mad with delight to hear the news.

2. 子供が死に、彼女は悲しみで気も狂わんばかりであった。

   She went nearly mad with grief after the child died.

3. 友人は「不可能だ」と言わんばかりに首を横に振った。

   My friend shook his head as much as to say "impossible".

4. あなたはたくさんの仕事を狂わんばかりに急いで片づけた。

   You did a lot of work in frantic haste.

5. 彼女は万事承知と言わんばかりに私に目くばせした。

   She winked at me as much as to say she knew everything.

6. 彼女はその知らせを聞いて、胸が張り裂けんばかりに泣いた。

   Hearing the news, she cried her heart out.

7. 彼らは「かわいそうな奴」といわんばかりに私達をじっと見た。

   They looked at us, as much as to say, "Poor creature."

8. 彼はまるで私たちが彼を侮辱したと言わんばかりの態度だった。

   He acted as though we had insulted him.