Attaches to a noun or verb to mean 'only that and nothing else'. Often used with a number or a single item. Similar to だけ but can carry a nuance of finality or limitation.
See also: きり
I've only met him once.
Used after a past-tense verb to mean 'ever since' or 'after doing something, nothing else has happened'. Typically appears in negative sentences, emphasizing that something hasn't occurred since that point.
continuously; remaining in a state
Follows a verb in た-form or a noun to indicate that a state continues unchanged. Often used with verbs like したまま or なったまま, emphasizing that the situation persists without interruption.
We only met that one time.
This is all that's left.
He left and hasn't come back since.
I haven't heard from him since he called last week.
He remained seated and wouldn't move.
I left the window open and forgot to close it.
He hasn't come back since he left.
I fell asleep with the TV left on.
We talked alone, just the two of us.
きり and っきり share the same limiting meaning, but っきり is the more colloquial, emphatic contracted form.
だけ is the neutral, general word for 'only', while っきり adds a stronger sense of finality or exclusivity.
切り is a noun meaning 'cut' or 'end', while っきり is an unrelated particle meaning 'only' or 'since'; they merely sound alike.
Applies to each form listed below
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
Derived from the verb 切る (きる, 'to cut') via its continuative form 切り, with gemination for emphasis. The meaning shifted from 'cutting off' to 'only' and 'since'.