目錄
Japanese “〜ばかりに” is often translated as “just because…” or “simply because…,” but the real point is not that the cause itself is necessarily small. Instead, the speaker singles out one particular cause and feels that things turned out the way they did precisely because of that one factor. Being a few minutes late and missing an interview, saying one extra sentence and making a relationship awkward, or suffering because of a particular personality trait or social status can all carry this nuance.
Because English can often translate all of these simply with “because,” “〜ばかりに” is easily confused with “〜せいで,” “〜ために,” and “〜ので.” The difference lies in how the speaker views the cause: are they simply explaining the reason, directly blaming something, or expressing clear regret about a result that has already happened? In addition, expressions such as “〜たいばかりに” and “〜が欲しいばかりに” have another layer of usage, so memorizing “〜ばかりに” only as “a small cause leading to a bad result” quickly creates exceptions.
What Does Japanese “〜ばかりに” Mean? Expressing Regret That a Particular Cause Led to an Unfortunate Result
“〜ばかりに” follows a cause and indicates that this particular factor is what led to the result in the following clause. In its general use, the second clause is usually an unfavorable, troublesome, unsuccessful, or regrettable result, so the sentence often carries a feeling similar to “if only this hadn’t happened.”
For example, “約束の時間に遅れたばかりに、面接を受けられなかった” does more than simply explain why the person could not attend the interview. It singles out “being late” and expresses regret that this one factor caused the speaker to lose the opportunity.
The cause does not have to be minor. In “戦争が起きたばかりに、故郷を離れなければならなかった,” war is obviously not a small event, yet “〜ばかりに” is still perfectly possible. A more accurate understanding is therefore “singling out a particular cause and negatively evaluating the result it produced,” rather than “a small cause producing a big consequence.”
- Example: 住所を一桁間違えたばかりに、荷物が別の家に届いてしまった.
Kana: じゅうしょをひとけたまちがえたばかりに、にもつがべつのいえにとどいてしまった.
Translation: Just because I got one digit of the address wrong, the package ended up being delivered to someone else’s house.
One incorrect digit in the address became the direct cause of the delivery error, while “〜てしまった” adds a sense of regret that the mistake has already happened. - Example: 約束の時間に遅れたばかりに、面接を受けられなかった.
Kana: やくそくのじかんにおくれたばかりに、めんせつをうけられなかった.
Translation: Just because I was late for the appointment, I wasn’t able to attend the interview.
The sentence does not simply state that the person was late. It treats the delay as the decisive reason they lost the interview opportunity. - Example: 一言多かったばかりに、二人の関係がぎくしゃくしてしまった.
Kana: ひとことおおかったばかりに、ふたりのかんけいがぎくしゃくしてしまった.
Translation: Just because I said one thing too many, the relationship between the two of us became awkward.
The extra comment itself was brief, but it affected the relationship afterward, making the sense of regret especially clear.
How Does “〜ばかりに” Conjugate? Verbs, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives, and Nouns
“〜ばかりに” can follow verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives, and nouns. Verbs and い-adjectives use the plain form. な-adjectives can take “〜なばかりに,” “〜であるばかりに,” or “〜だったばかりに,” while nouns commonly take “〜であるばかりに” or “〜だったばかりに.”
| What Comes Before | Pattern | Example | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | Plain form＋ばかりに | 信じたばかりに | An action causes a later result |
| い-adjective | Plain form＋ばかりに | 安いばかりに | A quality becomes a disadvantage |
| な-adjective | な-adjective＋な／である／だった＋ばかりに | 正直なばかりに | A state or characteristic causes difficulty |
| Noun | Noun＋である／だった＋ばかりに | 新人であるばかりに | A status or condition becomes the cause |
“Noun＋であるばかりに” has a noticeably more written tone, but “〜ばかりに” itself is not restricted to formal writing. Sentences such as “寝坊したばかりに、電車に乗り遅れた” can sound completely natural in ordinary narration or conversation.
What Usually Comes After “〜ばかりに”? An Unfavorable, Failed, or Regrettable Result
The general use of “〜ばかりに” most often leads to failure, loss, restriction, misunderstanding, or trouble. This is one of the clearest differences from “〜ので.”
- Example: 秘密を話してしまったばかりに、友人との関係が悪くなった.
Kana: ひみつをはなしてしまったばかりに、ゆうじんとのかんけいがわるくなった.
Translation: Just because I revealed the secret, my relationship with my friend got worse.
The second clause describes an outcome the speaker did not want, making “〜ばかりに” natural.
How Do “〜たいばかりに” and “〜が欲しいばかりに” Work? Strong Desire as the Motivation for an Action
“〜たいばかりに” and “〜が欲しいばかりに” mean “just because someone wants to… so badly” or “solely because someone wants….” In this use, a strong desire is treated as the motivation behind an action, and the second clause commonly describes what someone does in order to satisfy that desire.
This use does not have to be strictly limited to negative results, so it is incorrect to treat “the clause after 〜ばかりに must always be something bad” as an absolute rule.
- Example: 彼に認められたいばかりに、無理な仕事まで引き受けてしまった.
Kana: かれにみとめられたいばかりに、むりなしごとまでひきうけてしまった.
Translation: Just because I wanted his approval so badly, I even took on work that was too much for me.
“認められたい” expresses a strong desire, while the second clause describes an action driven by that desire.
Three Uses of Japanese “〜ばかりに”: Mistakes, Status or Conditions, and Strong Desire
The most common uses of “〜ばかりに” can be divided into three patterns. The first describes an action or mistake that leads to a regrettable result. The second shows how a personality trait, state, or social status creates a disadvantage. The third is “〜たいばかりに” or “〜が欲しいばかりに,” where a strong desire motivates an action.
“〜ばかりに” Use ①｜An Action or Mistake Leads to an Unwanted Result
This is the easiest use to understand. The first clause contains an action, choice, or oversight that has already happened, while the second describes the undesirable result caused by it. Because the speaker is often looking back afterward, the sentence easily carries a feeling similar to “if only I hadn’t done that.”
The point is not that the cause must be small. What matters is that the speaker sees it as decisive in producing the later result.
- Example: 提出期限を一日勘違いしたばかりに、応募できなくなった.
Kana: ていしゅつきげんをいちにちかんちがいしたばかりに、おうぼできなくなった.
Translation: Just because I got the deadline wrong by one day, I became unable to apply.
“一日” makes the contrast between the mistake and losing eligibility especially noticeable and adds a clear sense of regret. - Example: 電車に一本乗り遅れたばかりに、飛行機に間に合わなかった.
Kana: でんしゃにいっぽんのりおくれたばかりに、ひこうきにまにあわなかった.
Translation: Just because I missed one train, I ended up missing my flight.
The transportation delay affected everything that followed, giving the sentence a strong sense of frustration and regret. - Example: 確認メールを見落としたばかりに、予約が取り消されてしまった.
Kana: かくにんメールをみおとしたばかりに、よやくがとりけされてしまった.
Translation: Just because I overlooked the confirmation email, my reservation was canceled.
Missing the email became the cause of the cancellation, while “〜てしまった” further emphasizes that the result was undesirable.
“〜ばかりに” Use ②｜A Personality Trait, State, or Status Creates a Disadvantage
“〜ばかりに” can also follow a personality trait or condition that is not inherently negative. Qualities such as “正直,” “真面目,” and “優しい” are generally positive, but in certain situations they can still cause someone to be disadvantaged.
The same logic applies to nouns describing social status. For example, “新人であるばかりに” means that simply because someone is a newcomer, they face a particular restriction. This type of sentence often suggests that the condition in question should not really have had such a large impact.
- Example: 彼は正直なばかりに、損をすることがある.
Kana: かれはしょうじきなばかりに、そんをすることがある.
Translation: Simply because he is so honest, he sometimes ends up at a disadvantage.
“正直” is not inherently a flaw, but in certain situations it becomes the reason he loses out. - Example: 新人であるばかりに、重要な仕事を任せてもらえなかった.
Kana: しんじんであるばかりに、じゅうようなしごとをまかせてもらえなかった.
Translation: Just because I was a newcomer, I wasn’t given any important work.
“新人である” describes a status, while the second clause shows the restriction resulting from that status. - Example: 地方に住んでいるばかりに、利用できないサービスもある.
Kana: ちほうにすんでいるばかりに、りようできないサービスもある.
Translation: Just because I live outside a major city, there are some services I can’t use.
The place of residence becomes a limiting condition, and the sentence conveys frustration about the inconvenience.
“〜ばかりに” Use ③｜“〜たいばかりに” Means Being Driven by a Strong Desire
“Verb たい-form＋ばかりに” expresses a desire so strong that it drives the action described in the following clause. It is often translated as “just because someone wanted to… so badly” or “solely out of a desire to….”
A similar expression is “〜が欲しいばかりに.” These sentences do not simply describe unsuccessful cause and effect. Instead, they highlight the desire to obtain something or achieve something as the powerful motivation behind an action.
- Example: 試合に出たいばかりに、けがを隠して練習を続けた.
Kana: しあいにでたいばかりに、けがをかくしてれんしゅうをつづけた.
Translation: Just because I wanted to compete in the match so badly, I hid my injury and kept practicing.
The desire to participate is strong enough to influence the speaker’s later decision. - Example: 限定商品が欲しいばかりに、朝早くから店の前に並んだ.
Kana: げんていしょうひんがほしいばかりに、あさはやくからみせのまえにならんだ.
Translation: Just because I wanted the limited-edition item so badly, I lined up in front of the store early in the morning.
“欲しいばかりに” presents the strong desire to buy the item as the reason for getting up early and waiting in line. - Example: 上司に評価されたいばかりに、必要以上の仕事を抱え込んでしまった.
Kana: じょうしにひょうかされたいばかりに、ひつよういじょうのしごとをかかえこんでしまった.
Translation: Just because I wanted my boss’s approval so badly, I took on more work than necessary.
The desire for recognition drives the action and ultimately results in taking on too much.
What Is the Difference Between Japanese “〜ばかりに,” “〜せいで,” “〜ために,” and “〜ので”?
All four grammar patterns can connect a cause with a result, but the speaker’s attitude differs. “〜ばかりに” carries regret that “things turned out this way precisely because of this”; “〜せいで” more directly attributes a bad result to someone or something; causal “〜ために” is more objective and formal; and “〜ので” is a general, natural way to explain a reason in everyday Japanese.
| Point of Comparison | “〜ばかりに” | “〜せいで” | “〜ために” | “〜ので” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Precisely because of this, a regrettable result occurred | Because of this, something went wrong | Objective explanation of cause | Natural, mild explanation of cause |
| Speaker emotion | Regret, frustration, disappointment | Dissatisfaction, blame | Relatively little | Relatively little |
| Typical second clause | Usually negative | Usually negative | Positive, negative, or neutral | Positive, negative, or neutral |
| Emphasizes one specific cause? | Strongly | Moderately | Weakly | Weakly |
| Common contexts | Looking back, narration, commentary | Everyday complaints | Reports, notices, formal explanations | General conversation |
| Common English translation | Just because…／simply because… | Because of…／thanks to… in a negative sense | Due to… | Because… |
Difference Between “〜ばかりに” and “〜せいで”｜Regret vs. Blame
“〜せいで” more directly places responsibility on the cause and is close to “because of…” or “it’s because of… that….” When the cause is another person’s action, the sense of blame can become especially noticeable.
雨のせいで、試合が中止になった.
The game was canceled because of the rain.
The sentence directly attributes the cancellation to the rain.
“〜ばかりに” feels more like looking back at the result and regretting that things ended up this way precisely because of that one cause. It can be used to blame someone else, but it is also very common with the speaker’s own mistakes, so regret and frustration are often more prominent than blame.
雨が降ったばかりに、楽しみにしていた試合を見られなかった.
Just because it rained, I couldn’t watch the match I had been looking forward to.
The second clause emphasizes the disappointing result of being unable to watch something the speaker had anticipated.
Difference Between “〜ばかりに” and “〜ために”｜Subjective Regret vs. Objective Cause
Causal “〜ために” can calmly explain why something happened and is especially common in news reports, notices, transportation announcements, and formal explanations. The sentence does not need to contain the speaker’s regret or dissatisfaction.
大雨のため、イベントは延期されました.
The event was postponed due to heavy rain.
This simply states the objective cause of the postponement.
“〜ばかりに,” on the other hand, adds the speaker’s evaluation to the causal relationship. If you are simply announcing that a flight was canceled because of the weather, there is usually no reason to use “〜ばかりに.”
大雨だったばかりに、遠方から来た家族はイベントに参加できなかった.
Just because of the heavy rain, the family who had traveled from far away was unable to attend the event.
The focus shifts to the people affected and the regret that they could not participate.
Difference Between “〜ばかりに” and “〜ので”｜Emphasizing One Particular Cause vs. Giving an Ordinary Explanation
“〜ので” simply explains “because A, B.” It can appear in completely ordinary everyday decisions and does not require any sense of regret.
雨が降っているので、今日は家にいます.
Because it is raining, I’m staying home today.
This simply explains the reason for staying home.
“〜ばかりに” is not appropriate for this kind of ordinary cause. It sounds natural only when the speaker sees the first clause as the particular reason an undesirable result occurred.
雨が降ったばかりに、旅行の最終日をホテルで過ごすことになった.
Just because it rained, we ended up spending the last day of the trip at the hotel.
The original plans could not go ahead, so the sentence carries regret.
How Does the Tone Change When “〜ばかりに,” “〜せいで,” “〜ために,” and “〜ので” Describe the Same Situation?
Simply changing the causal grammar can change the speaker’s attitude toward the same event. Take the situation “the train was delayed, so I missed an interview.” All four sentences are grammatically possible, but their focus is different.
- “〜ばかりに”
電車が遅れたばかりに、大事な面接に間に合わなかった.
Just because the train was delayed, I missed an important interview.
The focus is on the frustration that this particular delay caused an important opportunity to be lost. - “〜せいで”
電車が遅れたせいで、面接に間に合わなかった.
Because of the train delay, I didn’t make it to the interview.
This has the strongest sense of directly blaming the delay. - “〜ために”
電車が遅れたため、面接に間に合わなかった.
Due to the train delay, I was unable to make it to the interview.
This sounds more like an objective report of what happened, with the speaker’s emotions pushed into the background. - “〜ので”
電車が遅れたので、面接に間に合わなかった.
Because the train was delayed, I didn’t make it to the interview.
This is simply an ordinary explanation of the cause and sounds the most neutral.
All four may be translated as “because” in English, but Japanese distinguishes whether the speaker expresses regret, blame, or an objective explanation. What “〜ばかりに” specifically adds is regret about the result.
How Do You Use Japanese “〜ばかりに” Naturally? Not Every Negative Result Works
“〜ばかりに” often appears with negative outcomes, but you cannot use it simply whenever something bad happens. If the sentence is only stating a cause without any feeling of “if only it hadn’t been because of this,” “〜ので” or “〜ために” will usually sound more natural.
“〜ばかりに” is also generally unsuitable for ordinary positive cause-and-effect relationships.
△ 日本に来たばかりに、おいしい寿司を食べることができた.
Just because I came to Japan, I was able to eat delicious sushi.
If the intended meaning is simply that coming to Japan made it possible to eat good sushi, with no regret or irony, “〜ばかりに” sounds unnatural.
✅ 日本に来たので、おいしい寿司を食べることができた.
Because I came to Japan, I was able to eat delicious sushi.
If you want to express “thanks to coming to Japan,” you can also say:
✅ 日本に来たおかげで、おいしい寿司を食べることができた.
Thanks to coming to Japan, I was able to eat delicious sushi.
Another point that textbooks often oversimplify is the idea that “〜ばかりに” describes a small mistake causing a large consequence. A “small cause” is not a grammatical requirement. The following sentence is also completely natural:
✅ 戦争が起きたばかりに、多くの人が故郷を離れなければならなかった.
Just because war broke out, many people were forced to leave their hometowns.
The cause is extremely serious, yet “〜ばかりに” still works. What matters is whether the speaker singles out that cause as the source of an unwanted result.
Practical Conversations with Japanese “〜ばかりに”: Shipping, Work, and Application Deadlines
“〜ばかりに” is particularly useful when looking back after something has already gone wrong. Missing an email, remembering a date incorrectly, or saying the wrong thing can all lead naturally to the thought, “if only I hadn’t done that.”
This grammar also appears in workplace and interpersonal situations. It is especially effective when a personality trait is not inherently negative but nevertheless causes someone to be disadvantaged in a particular situation.
Scenario ①｜Tracing a Package After Writing the Wrong Address
A：荷物、まだ届かないの？
にもつ、まだとどかないの？
Hasn’t the package arrived yet?
B：部屋番号を間違えたばかりに、別の建物に届いてしまったみたい.
へやばんごうをまちがえたばかりに、べつのたてものにとどいてしまったみたい.
Just because I got the room number wrong, it looks like it was delivered to another building.
📌 Grammar Point: “部屋番号を間違えた” is treated as the cause of the delivery error. “〜ばかりに” adds regret that one mistake caused all this trouble.
Scenario ②｜Being Disadvantaged at Work for Being Too Honest
A：また仕事を引き受けたの？断ってもよかったんじゃない？
またしごとをひきうけたの？ことわってもよかったんじゃない？
You took on more work again? You could have said no, couldn’t you?
B：正直なばかりに、頼まれると断れないんだ.
しょうじきなばかりに、たのまれるとことわれないんだ.
It’s because I’m too honest that I have trouble saying no when someone asks me.
📌 Grammar Point: “正直” is normally a positive trait, but in this context it results in more work. “〜ばかりに” naturally captures the contrast of a positive quality creating difficulty.
Scenario ③｜Getting the Application Deadline Wrong by One Day
A：その講座、申し込んだ？
そのこうざ、もうしこんだ？
Did you sign up for that course?
B：締め切りを一日勘違いしたばかりに、申し込めなかった.
しめきりをいちにちかんちがいしたばかりに、もうしこめなかった.
Just because I got the deadline wrong by one day, I couldn’t apply.
📌 Grammar Point: Missing the deadline by only one day led to losing the entire opportunity to apply, so the contrast between cause and result makes “〜ばかりに” especially natural.
Cultural Notes:
- “〜ばかりに” is not an especially stiff grammar pattern and can appear naturally in everyday narration. However, forms such as “新人であるばかりに” and “外国人であるばかりに,” using “noun＋である,” sound noticeably more written or commentary-like.
- “〜ばかりに” can easily assign responsibility to a cause, so tone matters when discussing someone else’s actions. “彼が遅れたばかりに、全部台無しになった” clearly states that his being late caused everything to be ruined, so the sense of blame is not weak.
- When used with the speaker’s own mistake, “〜ばかりに” often carries strong hindsight and regret. Expressions such as “余計なことを言ったばかりに” and “確認しなかったばかりに” are especially natural when looking back on an action that can no longer be undone.
How Does Japanese “〜ばかりに” Compare with Korean “-는 바람에” and “-때문에”?
Korean “-는 바람에” and Japanese “〜ばかりに” both express that a particular cause led to an undesirable result, but their focus is not exactly the same.
“-는 바람에” often describes an unexpected event or sudden circumstance leading to a negative outcome, such as a transportation delay, sudden rain, or another disruptive event. “〜ばかりに,” on the other hand, more easily conveys the speaker’s hindsight that “things turned out this way precisely because of this one cause.”
Korean “-때문에” has a broader range of use. It can simply mean “because of…,” but depending on context it can also carry blame, making it closer in some situations to Japanese “〜せいで.”
◆ Similar Grammar ①: Korean “-는 바람에”
“-는 바람에” mainly attaches to verbs and expresses that something happened in the first clause and caused an unexpected or undesirable result. It resembles Japanese “〜ばかりに” because the second clause is usually not the result that was originally expected. However, “-는 바람에” more often focuses on a situation suddenly occurring, disrupting circumstances, and directly causing the following result.
- Example: 비가 오는 바람에 행사가 취소됐어요.
Romanization: bi-ga o-neun ba-ram-e haeng-sa-ga chwi-so-dwae-sseo-yo.
Translation: The event was canceled because it rained.
The rain directly prevented the event from taking place, and the focus is on an external circumstance producing an unexpected result. - Example: 주소를 잘못 적는 바람에 택배가 다른 집으로 갔어요.
Romanization: ju-so-reul jal-mot jeok-neun ba-ram-e taek-bae-ga da-reun ji-beu-ro ga-sseo-yo.
Translation: Because the address was written incorrectly, the package was delivered to another house.
Writing the wrong address directly caused the delivery error, making this situation very similar to Japanese “住所を間違えたばかりに、荷物が別の家に届いてしまった.” - Example: 지하철을 잘못 타는 바람에 약속 시간에 늦었어요.
Romanization: ji-ha-cheo-reul jal-mot ta-neun ba-ram-e yak-sok si-gan-e neu-jeo-sseo-yo.
Translation: Because I took the wrong subway, I was late for the appointment.
Taking the wrong train disrupted the rest of the schedule. “-는 바람에” is especially natural for situations where something goes wrong along the way and throws the original plan off course.
◆ Similar Grammar ②: Korean “-때문에”
“-때문에” has a broader range of use than Japanese “〜ばかりに.” It can simply explain the cause of something, or in negative contexts it may carry a sense of “because of…” or blame. Nouns can directly take “때문에,” while verbs and adjectives commonly use “-기 때문에.” Whether the sentence expresses blame, dissatisfaction, or regret depends on context and cannot be determined from “때문에” alone.
- Example: 솔직한 성격 때문에 손해를 볼 때도 있어요.
Romanization: sol-jik-han seong-gyeok ttae-mun-e son-hae-reul bol ttae-do i-sseo-yo.
Translation: Because of my honest personality, I sometimes end up at a disadvantage.
“때문에” naturally explains the causal relationship between the personality trait and the result. If Japanese wants to add the regretful sense that this very trait causes the disadvantage, it can say “正直なばかりに、損をすることがある.” - Example: 교통 체증 때문에 회의에 늦었어요.
Romanization: gyo-tong che-jeung ttae-mun-e hoe-ui-e neu-jeo-sseo-yo.
Translation: I was late for the meeting because of traffic.
This simply treats traffic congestion as the cause of being late.
“때문에” itself does not require regret or blame, so it is closer to a general causal explanation than Japanese “〜ばかりに.” - Example: 준비가 부족했기 때문에 발표를 제대로 하지 못했어요.
Romanization: jun-bi-ga bu-jok-haet-gi ttae-mun-e bal-pyo-reul je-dae-ro ha-ji mot-hae-sseo-yo.
Translation: Because I was not sufficiently prepared, I couldn’t give the presentation properly.
“-기 때문에” explains how insufficient preparation caused the unsuccessful presentation and can sound simply analytical or objective. If changed to Japanese “準備が足りなかったばかりに,” the sentence would add more hindsight and regret that “things went wrong precisely because I wasn’t prepared enough.”
◆ Core Difference from “〜ばかりに”:
Korean “-는 바람에” tends to focus more on an event suddenly occurring or an action producing an unexpected negative result. “-때문에” is a broader general causal expression, and whether it carries blame depends on context. Japanese “〜ばかりに,” in addition to identifying the cause, usually singles it out and conveys the regretful sense that “if it hadn’t been for this, things might not have turned out this way.”
A useful way to remember “〜ばかりに” is as a causal expression with a strong hindsight perspective. The result has already become undesirable, and the speaker looks back and pulls out one particular cause, feeling that things ended up this way precisely because of it. This is what most clearly separates “〜ばかりに” from ordinary “〜ので” and “〜ために.” If changed to “〜せいで,” the direction of blame becomes more explicit.
The first clause also does not need to be a “small mistake.” An action, personality trait, social status, or other condition can all function as the cause. A more reliable way to judge the grammar is to look at the result and ask whether the sentence carries the feeling that “without this particular cause, things might not have turned out this way.” “〜たいばかりに” and “〜が欲しいばかりに,” meanwhile, are better learned separately as patterns where a strong desire motivates an action.
FAQ
“〜ばかりに” means that a result happened precisely because of a particular cause. In its general use, it often conveys regret, frustration, or disappointment. The speaker singles out the cause and suggests that if it had not existed, the result might not have happened.
In its general causal use, the second clause is usually an undesirable result, but this should not be treated as an absolute rule. “〜たいばかりに” and “〜が欲しいばかりに” mean that someone wants to do or obtain something so strongly that the desire drives their behavior. In those patterns, the second clause mainly describes the action motivated by that desire and does not have to be limited to a negative outcome.
“〜せいで” more directly attributes a bad result to a particular cause and can carry a stronger sense of blame. “〜ばかりに” emphasizes regret that the current result happened precisely because of that cause. It is also very common with the speaker’s own mistakes, so it does not necessarily blame someone else.
な-adjectives can use forms such as “正直なばかりに,” “静かであるばかりに,” and “便利だったばかりに.” Nouns commonly use forms such as “新人であるばかりに” and “学生だったばかりに.” Among these, “〜であるばかりに” has a more written tone.
Only in some sentences, and the nuance changes. “〜ので” simply gives a natural explanation of the cause, while “〜ばかりに” shows that the speaker specifically sees that cause as the source of an undesirable result. If the second clause is an ordinary decision or neutral outcome, “〜ので” is usually more natural.