～んばかりに (〜n bakari ni)
Explanation
Indicates 'as though about to ~' or 'as if to say ~'.
Formation
Verb-negative stem + ん + ばかりに
Detailed Explanation
The ～んばかりに form is typically built on the negative stem of a verb (ない-form minus ない: 行か→行かん, 言わ→言わん, 知ら→知らん, etc.) + ばかり. It describes someone’s action or expression as though it were about to happen, or as though conveying a certain meaning without explicitly stating it.
Examples
彼は何も知らんばかりに、私の質問を無視した。
Kare wa nanimo shir-an bakari ni, watashi no shitsumon o mushi shita.
He ignored my question as if he didn’t know anything.
その子は泣かんばかりに顔をしかめた。
Sono ko wa nakan bakari ni kao o shikameta.
The child made a face as if he were about to cry.
彼女は笑わんばかりに口元を押さえた。
Kanojo wa warawan bakari ni kuchimoto o osaeta.
She covered her mouth as though she were about to burst out laughing.
彼は退屈だと言わんばかりに、ため息を何度もついた。
Kare wa taikutsu da to iwan bakari ni, tameiki o nando mo tsuita.
He sighed over and over as if to say he was bored.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.