〜おまけに: 'To Make Matters Worse' (Meaning + Examples)
Stacking a second bad thing onto the first
おまけに connects two sentences where the second adds another negative fact, making an already unfortunate situation even worse.
今日は雨が降った。おまけに、やったんは財布も忘れた。
きょうは あめが ふった。おまけに、やったんは さいふも わすれた。
It rained today. On top of that, Yattan forgot his wallet too.
Two separate bad facts, joined by おまけに.
モチの部屋は狭い。おまけに家賃も高い。
モチの へやは せまい。おまけに やちんも たかい。
Mochi's room is small. What's more, the rent is expensive too.
電車が遅れた。おまけに、雨まで降ってきた。
でんしゃが おくれた。おまけに、あめまで ふってきた。
The train was late. To make matters worse, it even started raining.
Using it to connect sentences
おまけに typically starts a new sentence (often followed by a comma) right after a sentence stating the first problem. It can also appear mid-sentence with が/けど linking the two clauses.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial | [Fact 1]。おまけに、[Fact 2]。 | 道が混んでいた。おまけに、事故もあった。 |
| Mid-sentence | [Fact 1]が、おまけに[Fact 2] | 遅刻したが、おまけに書類も忘れた。 |
このパソコンは重い。おまけにバッテリーもすぐ切れる。
この パソコンは おもい。おまけに バッテリーも すぐ きれる。
This laptop is heavy. On top of that, the battery dies quickly too.
も after the second noun reinforces the 'in addition' feel.
Don't confuse with しかも and そのうえ
しかも and そのうえ also mean "moreover/on top of that," but they're neutral — they can add a positive fact too (この店は安い。しかも美味しい。"This shop is cheap. What's more, it's delicious."). おまけに is almost always reserved for adding another negative or unwelcome fact, which is why it fits complaints and unlucky situations much more naturally than good news.
The short version
- おまけに = "to make matters worse / on top of that" — adds a second unwelcome fact.
- Attaches to: connects two full sentences/clauses; often sentence-initial with a comma.
- Nuance/register: almost always stacks bad news onto bad news; slightly wry tone.
- Don't confuse with: しかも/そのうえ, which are neutral and can add good news too.
Practice it
Choose おまけに when the sentence adds a second bad or unwelcome fact to the first.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
今日は雨が降った。＿＿＿財布も忘れた。
Where 〜おまけに fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜について · N3 — 〜について marks the topic you talk, think, or write about: 日本の文化について話す. Learn the form, the についての + noun pattern, についても, and how it differs from に関して.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- せいぜい — せいぜい is an adverb meaning 'at most,' 'at best,' or 'only' — せいぜい100ドル足らず ('at most, barely 100 dollars'). It caps an estimate at its upper limit, usually implying that limit is smaller or less impressive than expected.
- 〜て以来 — 〜て以来 attaches to the て-form of a one-time past event to mean 'ever since...' — 日本に来て以来、毎日が楽しい. It marks a turning point after which a new state has continued unbroken.
- 〜と同時に — 〜と同時に attaches to a plain-form verb or noun to mean 'at the same time as / as soon as' — ベルが鳴ると同時に生徒が出た. It links two events happening simultaneously, or one triggering the other instantly.
- 〜ところだった — 〜ところだった means something almost happened but was narrowly avoided — 'I was just about to / I almost did.' It attaches to the dictionary form of a verb and often follows a close call like あぶない or もう少しで.
- つい — つい is an adverb meaning 'unintentionally / before I knew it' — it describes an action that slipped out despite the speaker's intentions, or a habitual slip. Common with speaking, eating, and other hard-to-control impulses.
- 〜は別として — 〜は別として means 'setting X aside' or 'apart from X' — it brackets off one topic as a separate matter so the speaker can address something more pressing, without denying the bracketed topic's importance.