Skip to content

N3

一方だ

いっぽうだ

More and more, Continue to, Keep on, -er and -er

アメリカとロシアの関係かんけいは悪化あっかする一方いっぽうだ。

The relationship between the US and Russia keeps on getting worse.

Explanation

「〜一方だ」 follows the dictionary form of a verb of change and means 'keeps ...ing', 'more and more'. Things keep moving in one direction without stopping: 「物価は上がる一方だ」 (Prices just keep rising). In practice it is mostly used for bad changes, with a note of worry or helplessness.

Mixed up with

Nearly interchangeable with 「〜ばかりだ」: 「ばかりだ」 is more casual and more strongly negative; 「一方だ」 sounds more like a neutral description of a one-way trend.

Only verbs of increase or change can go before it (「増える」, 「進む」). Momentary or willed actions cannot: you cannot say 「食べる一方だ」.

Examples

  1. 会社かいしゃの財政ざいせいは厳きびしくなる一方いっぽうだ。

    The company's finances keep getting tighter.

  2. 残念ざんねんながらこんな事件じけんが増ふえる一方いっぽうだ。

    Unfortunately, there are more and more cases like these.

  3. 災害さいがいは増ふえる一方いっぽうです。

    More and more disasters happen.

Tested 4 times in past papers

N2 · Jul 2025, Q38N2 · Dec 2018, Q35N2 · Dec 2015, Q37N2 · Jul 2010, Q37