noun + ばかり [exclusivity sense] ambiguity


My understanding of ばかり so far:

After TE form, the meaning is unambiguous as it applies to the verb, e.g.:

> 本を読んでばかりいる。Do nothing but read books.

However, placed after the noun

> 本ばかりを読む

The meaning is left ambiguous as it could mean

  1. read books only (i.e. nothing else, not magazines, not brochures etc., no implication on how much time the person spends actually reading.)

Alternatively, same as before

  2. ONLY read books (i.e. do nothing else BUT read, no implication on the actual material).

However, in another example from a grammar book:

> ジョンはビールばかり飲んでいる

It's listed as "John is drinking beer the whole time (he doesn't do anything
else)."

I'm not sure whether the meaning is left ambiguous here with this particular
translation picked arbitrarily (which would confirm my previous understanding)
or one-way only (which would oppose it, to some degree).




本ばかり読む is basically "read books only", but it actually means "only read books"
too, as you said. ジョンはビールばかり飲んでいる is the same, it can also mean he may do
something besides drinking beer. It's ambiguous in that sense.




本ばかり読む is basically "read books only", but it actually means "only read books"
too, as you said. ジョンはビールばかり飲んでいる is the same, it can also mean he may do
something besides drinking beer. It's ambiguous in that sense.

