Just Finished Doing Something: ～たばかり

ばかり has a number of grammatical usages in Japanese, but one of the most common is with the simple past tense to express that an action has just taken place.

【Verb: Simple Past】ばかり

食たべたばかり。

Just eaten.

映画えいがが始はじまったばかり。

The film has just started.

仕事しごとから帰かえってきたばかりだから着替きがえてからご飯はんを作つくるね。

I’ve just returned home from work so I’ll make dinner after I’ve changed.

彼かれは運転免許うんてんめんきょを取とったばかりなのに自分じぶんがシューマッハだと思おもっているみたいだよ。

Despite having only just got his driving license he seems to think he’s Schumacher.

Note: We will meet the “seems like” grammar later.

戦争せんそうが終おわったばかりの頃ころには毎日まいにちの生活せいかつが苦くるしかった。

When the war had just finished, everyday life was difficult.

先週せんしゅう知しり合あったばかりなのに昔むかしからの友達ともだちのような感かんじがする。

To feel like old friends despite having only just met last week.

The structure is typically used in conversation rather than formal writing where very often a bridging っ will be inserted in the pronunciation to put emphasis on the か.

ばかり　→　ばっかり

テストが終おわったばっかりだよ。

The test finished just now.