JLPT N1Everyday

きりがないthere's no end to it

However far you went on listing, counting, wanting or worrying, there would always be more: "there's no end to it". People mostly say it as a reason to stop.

このまま細さい部ぶまで話はなし合あっていたら、きりがないので、今日きょうは要よう点てんだけ決きめよう。

If we go on discussing every detail like this we'll never be done, so let's just settle the main points today.

不ふ満まんを言いい出だしたらきりがない。

Once you start on the complaints, there's no end to them.

How to form it

Verb + たら／ば／と + きりがない

言いい出だしたら, 挙あげれば, 探さがし始はじめると. ても works too: 考かんがえてもきりがない. Polite: きりがありません.

Before it: Mostly a verb for listing, counting, looking or wanting: 挙あげる, 数かぞえる, 言いい出だす, 探さがす.
After it: Often ので or から, and where you draw the line.
Where you'll meet it: Everywhere: everyday talk, meetings, writing.

In use

彼かれの発はつ言げんの矛む盾じゅんは、挙あげればきりがない。

You could go on for ever listing the contradictions in what he says.

インターネットで関かん連れん資し料りょうを探さがし始はじめるときりがないので、二に時じ間かんで切きり上あげた。

Once you start looking for related material online there's no end to it, so I stopped after two hours.

欲よくを言いえばきりがないけど、今いまの部屋へやで十じゅう分ぶんだよ。

I could always wish for more, but the apartment I have now is fine.

欲よくを言いえばきりがない is a set phrase: there is always something more to want.

Close neighbours

きり・っきりN3

A different きり: "only" after a number, "nothing since" after a た-form. In きりがない it is a noun, "a stopping point".

父ちちは朝あさ出でかけたきり、まだ帰かえってこない。

My father went out this morning and still hasn't come back.

Check yourself

1What is this person saying?

細こまかいことを気きにしていたらきりがないよ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

この店みせへの苦く情じょうは、（　　）きりがない。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

After a noun it is usually には: 人にん間げんの欲よくにはきりがない, "there is no end to what people want".

The same きり is in きりがいい, "a good place to stop": きりのいいところで休やすもう, "let's take a break at a good stopping point".

More sentences

候こう補ほを一人ひとりずつ検けん討とうすればきりがないから、まず三さん人にんに絞しぼった。

There would be no end to it if we went through the candidates one by one, so we first narrowed them down to three.

数すう字じの誤ご差さをすべて追おいかけていたらきりがありません。今こん回かいは結けっ果かに影えい響きょうするものだけ確かく認にんします。

If we chased every discrepancy in the figures we would never finish. This time we will check only the ones that affect the result.

過か去この判はん断だんを一ひとつ一ひとつ批ひ判はんしても、きりがない。今こん後ごの改かい善ぜんに集しゅう中ちゅうしよう。

There's no end to picking over every past decision. Let's concentrate on doing better from now on.

上うえを見みればきりがない。

There will always be someone better off than you.

A saying: word for word, "if you look up, there's no end".