N2 Results, Change, and Progress

~一方いっぽうだ: meaning, usage and examples

~一方いっぽうだ means: continue to... / keep -ing (one direction).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 物価ぶっかは上あがる一方いっぽうだ。

   Prices just keep rising.

2. 彼かれの体調たいちょうは悪わるくなる一方いっぽうだ。

   His physical condition just keeps getting worse.

3. 駅前えきまえの開発かいはつで、町まちの人口じんこうは増ふえる一方いっぽうだ。

   With the development near the station, the town's population just keeps growing.

4. 最近さいきん、仕事しごとの量りょうは増ふえる一方いっぽうです。

   Lately, my workload just keeps increasing.

When to use it

Says that a situation keeps moving in one direction and shows no sign of changing course. It is used with verbs of change, such as 増ふえる, 減へる, 上あがる, 悪わるくなる and 広ひろがる. For example, 物価ぶっかは上あがる一方いっぽうだ means "prices just keep rising." It often reports a worrying trend.

Nuance

Neutral; used in speech and writing. Most often a bad trend, said with worry or complaint, though a neutral trend is possible. It works only with verbs of change, never with a single action.

Compare

ばかりだ is very close but more strongly negative and emotional: 悪わるくなるばかりだ. 一方いっぽうだ can be more neutral: 利用りよう者しゃは増ふえる一方いっぽうだ. つつある describes a change in progress without saying it will continue: 回復かいふくしつつある. Do not confuse with 一方いっぽうで ("on the other hand").

Tip: Ends a sentence as 一方いっぽうだ. If 一方いっぽう comes mid-sentence with で, it usually means "while / on the other hand," which is a different pattern.