JLPT N3Everyday

切きる・切きれないall of it; utterly; can't finish

After another verb, 切きる means doing all of something, to the last bit: eat it all, use it up. With a few verbs it means utterly: worn out. 切きれない says there is too much to get through.

all of it

残のこった材ざい料りょうを今日中きょうじゅうに使つかい切きりましょう。

Let's use up the leftover ingredients today.

utterly

長ながい一いち日にちを終おえて、彼かの女じょは疲つかれ切きっていた。

After the long day, she was utterly exhausted.

too much to finish

この量りょうは一人ひとりでは食たべ切きれません。

This is too much for one person to finish.

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + 切きる／切きれない

使つかいます → 使つかい切きる. 切きれない is its "can't" form: 食たべ切きれない. Often written in kana: 食たべきれない. Not every verb takes it; common ones are listed below.

Before it: For "all of it", something with an amount or a distance to get through: 食たべる, 飲のむ, 使つかう, 読よむ, 走はしる. For "utterly", a handful of verbs: 疲つかれる, 困こまる, 冷ひえる.
Where you'll meet it: Everyday talk and writing alike.

Ones you'll meet

読よみ切きるread to the end

この小しょう説せつは面おも白しろくて、一ひと晩ばんで読よみ切きった。

This novel was so interesting that I read the whole thing in one night.

売うり切きれsold out

そのチケットはもう売うり切きれです。

Those tickets are already sold out.

On shop shelves, ticket sites and vending machines.

数かぞえ切きれないtoo many to count

空そらには数かぞえ切きれないほどの星ほしが出でていた。

There were more stars in the sky than you could count.

待まち切きれないcan't wait

夏なつ休やすみが待まち切きれない。

I can't wait for summer vacation.

People make others as they need them, where there is an amount to get through: 覚おぼえ切きれない, 説せつ明めいし切きれない.

終おわる says done, 切きる says none left

ピザを食たべ終おわった。

I've finished eating the pizza.

The meal is over. Some may be left.

ピザを食たべ切きった。

I ate the whole pizza.

Nothing is left.

切きれない: some of it, not all

これは食たべられない。

I can't eat this.

None of it: you don't like it, or it has gone bad.

これは食たべ切きれない。

I can't finish this.

You can eat it, but there is too much to finish.

Close neighbours

終わるN4

Only reports reaching the end.

全ぜん員いんが食たべ終おわってから、店みせを出でました。

We left the restaurant after everyone had finished eating.

上がる・上げるN3

For something you make. Nothing is used up; a finished thing is made.

彼かの女じょは一ひと晩ばんで短たん編ぺんを書かき上あげた。

She finished writing the short story in one night.

ぬくN3

To the end in spite of hardship. The point is that you didn't give up.

困こん難なんが続つづいたが、彼かの女じょは研けん究きゅうを最さい後ごまでやり抜ぬいた。

The difficulties kept coming, but she saw her research through to the very end.

Check yourself

1What does this say?

こんなにたくさん、一人ひとりでは飲のみ切きれないよ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

はさみを（　　）、元もとの場ば所しょに戻もどしてください。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

With a feeling, 切きれない is "can't quite".

十じゅう年ねんも追おい続つづけた夢ゆめを、簡かん単たんには諦あきらめ切きれない。

I can't just let go of a dream I've chased for ten years.

A few 切きる words have meanings of their own: 締しめ切きり (a deadline), 思おもい切きって (taking the plunge), 言いい切きる (to say flatly).

More sentences

彼かれは一いちリットルの水みずを一いっ気きに飲のみ切きった。

He drank the entire liter of water in one go.

選せん手しゅたちは四よん十じゅう二にキロのコースを全ぜん員いん走はしり切きった。

All the athletes ran the full forty-two-kilometer course.

暖だん房ぼうの止とまった部屋へやは、すっかり冷ひえ切きっていた。

With the heating off, the room had gone completely cold.

一人ひとりでは処しょ理りし切きれない量りょうの問とい合あわせが届とどいた。

We got more inquiries than one person could deal with.

締しめ切きりまでに資し料りょうを読よみ切きれなかった。

I couldn't finish reading the material by the deadline.

荷に物もつが多おおすぎて、車くるま一いち台だいには積つみ切きれない。

There is too much luggage to fit it all into one car.