たきり・
たきり says that one past event was the last, and an expected return, repetition, contact, or next development has not happened. The resulting situation continues up to the present or another reference point.
One event becomes the cutoff point
The event before きり must be a specific past event that naturally leads us to expect something afterward. The rest of the sentence tells us that the expected event never happened or that the matter remains unresolved.
Three common shapes
The continuation may be stated directly, or it may be left understood when the context is strong enough.
大学を卒業したきり、彼とは会っていない。
I have not seen him since we graduated from university.
AnalyzeThe negative clause explicitly states that there has been no later meeting.
兄は「すぐ戻る」と言って家を出たっきり、まだ帰ってこない。
My older brother left home saying he would be right back, and he still has not returned.
Analyzeっきり suits this conversational, emotionally charged context.
彼からは、春に短い手紙が届いたきりだ。
The last I heard from him was a short letter that arrived in the spring.
AnalyzeThe ending leaves “and there has been no further contact” understood.
When it sounds natural
This pattern works especially well after leaving, lending something, promising to return, meeting, writing, or contacting someone. Each action creates a natural expectation of a return, response, later meeting, or further progress. The construction is less suitable when nothing further was ever expected.
Three forms that look similar
A noun or quantity followed by きり means “only” that person or amount; it does not establish a past cutoff point. たまま neutrally says that the state produced by an action remains unchanged, while たきり draws attention to a missing return, response, recurrence, or next development. たなり is older and more literary, and often focuses on remaining in the posture or state produced by the first action.
Referring back to the cutoff point
あれきり、二人は一度も話していない。
Since that incident, the two of them have not spoken even once.
Analyzeあれ points back to an event already known from the context.
More examples
彼女は三年前に故郷を出たきり、一度も戻っていない。
She left her hometown three years ago and has not returned even once.
Analyzeこの本は友人に貸したきり、まだ返ってこない。
I lent this book to a friend, and it still has not come back.
Analyze担当者とは先週話したっきりで、その後は連絡がない。
I last spoke with the person in charge last week, and there has been no contact since.
Analyzeあれきり、二人は顔を合わせていない。
The two of them have not seen each other since then.
Analyze息子は「少し散歩してくる」と出かけたきり、夜になっても戻らなかった。
My son went out saying he was going for a short walk, but he had still not returned by nightfall.
Analyzeその件は部長に報告したきり、何の進展もない。
The matter was reported to the department manager, but there has been no progress since.
Analyze