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
彼は一度っきりしか会ったことがない。
I've only met him once.
残ったのはこれっきりだ。
This is all that's left.
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.
彼は座ったっきり動こうとしなかった。
He remained seated and wouldn't move.
We only met that one time.
He left and hasn't come back since.
先週、電話があったっきり、連絡がない。
I haven't heard from him since he called last week.
窓を開けたっきり閉め忘れた。
I left the window open and forgot to close it.
彼は出て行ったっきり、戻ってこない。
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'.