JLPT N3Everyday

きり・っきりonly; and nothing since

きり cuts things off. After a number it is a firm "only": that many and no more. After a verb in the た-form, that was the last of it: someone went out and hasn't come back.

only

今こん夜やは二人ふたりきりで話はなしましょう。

Let's talk tonight, just the two of us.

nothing since

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.

Only

Number + counter + きり

Mostly a few set words: 一人ひとりきり, 二人ふたりきり, 一いち度どきり, 一いっ回かいきり. Also 今こん回かいきり (this time only) and これきり (this and no more).

Nothing since

Verb in the た-form + きり + what hasn't happened

それきり and あれきり work the same way: "and since then, nothing".

In conversation

っきり

一人ひとりっきり, これっきり, 出でたっきり.

Only: 二人ふたりきり, 一いち度どきり

一人ひとりきり is all alone, 二人ふたりきり is the two of you with nobody else around, and 一いち度どきり is once and never again. だけ just gives the number.

彼かれに会あったのは一いち度どだけだ。

I've met him only once.

A plain count.

彼かれに会あったのは一いち度どきりだ。

I met him just the once.

Once, and no more.

一人ひとりきりで暮くらすのは初はじめてです。

It's my first time living all on my own.

人じん生せいは一いち度どきりだ。

You only live once.

A

もう一いっ杯ぱい飲のむの？

Are you having another drink?

B

うん。でも、これっきりにするよ。

Yeah. But this is the last one.

Outside words like these, the everyday "only" is だけ: 水みずだけ.

Nothing since: たきり

Someone left, lent something or got in touch, and you expected a next step: a return, a reply. It hasn't come. The second half says what hasn't happened, so it is usually negative.

兄あには「すぐ戻もどる」と言いって家いえを出でたっきり、まだ帰かえってこない。

My brother left the house saying "back in a minute", and he still hasn't come home.

この本ほんは友ゆう人じんに貸かしたきり、まだ返かえってこない。

I lent this book to a friend and still haven't gotten it back.

彼かれからは、春はるに短みじかい手て紙がみが届とどいたきりだ。

The last I heard from him was a short letter in the spring.

たきりだ at the end leaves the rest unsaid: nothing since.

彼かの女じょから一いち度どメールが来きて、それっきり連れん絡らくがない。

I got one email from her, and I've heard nothing since.

寝ねたきり

寝ねたきり is a word in its own right: bedridden, no longer able to get up.

祖そ母ぼは転ころんでから寝ねたきりになった。

After her fall, my grandmother became bedridden.

Close neighbours

たままN4

Things stay as the action left them. Nobody is waiting for a next step.

窓まどを開あけたまま、寝ねてしまった。

I accidentally fell asleep with the window open.

きりがないN1

"There's no end to it." Here きり is the cut-off point itself.

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.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

弟おとうとは部屋へやに入はいったきり、出でてこない。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What is the speaker saying?

こんなお願ねがいをするのは、これっきりにします。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

任まかせっきり

After a ます-stem, っきり makes a few words for doing one thing only: 任まかせっきり, leaving it all to someone; つきっきり, never leaving someone's side.

家か事じは妻つまに任まかせっきりだ。

I leave all the housework to my wife.

More sentences

彼かの女じょは三さん年ねん前まえに故ふる郷さとを出でたきり、一いち度ども戻もどっていない。

She left her hometown three years ago and hasn't been back once.

大だい学がくを卒そつ業ぎょうしたきり、彼かれとは会あっていない。

I haven't seen him since we graduated from college.

あれきり、二人ふたりは一いち度ども話はなしていない。

The two of them haven't spoken once since then.

この割わり引びきは今こん回かいきりです。

This discount is for this time only.

残のこっている席せきは一ひとつきりです。

There is only one seat left.

Compared with similar forms

Ways to say "only"