いっぱいいっぱい

い

っ

ぱ

い

っ

ぱ

い

Meanings

1

na-adjective, adverb, noun

to the limit; at one's limit; breaking even

usually written using kana alone

Describes being at the absolute limit of one's capacity, resources, or time; often used when barely managing or just scraping by. The 'breaking even' nuance appears in financial or scheduling contexts.

今こん月げつの予よ算さんはもういっぱい

いっぱい

だ

。

This month's budget is already stretched to the limit.

仕し事ごとが忙いそがしくて、毎まい日にちいっぱいいっぱいです。

Work is so busy that I'm at my limit every day.

2

na-adjective, adverb, noun

one cup after another; cup by cup

Literal meaning of drinking or pouring one cup after another in succession. Rarely used in modern conversation; the figurative sense is far more common.

彼かれは酒さけを一いっ杯ぱい一いっ杯ぱいとあおった。
He downed one cup of sake after another.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
杯counter for cupfuls, wine glass, glass

Related words

ぎりぎり
ぎりぎり also means 'just barely' or 'at the limit', but focuses on a narrow margin (time, space, quantity), while いっぱいいっぱい emphasizes being completely full or maxed out.
精せい一いっ杯ぱい
精一杯 means 'with all one's might' or 'to the best of one's ability', highlighting effort rather than capacity limits.

Written forms

一いっ杯ぱい一いっ杯ぱい
Kanji spelling occasionally seen for the literal 'cup by cup' meaning, but kana is preferred.
一杯々々いっぱいいっぱい
Repetition kanji form; very rare and mostly encountered in older texts.

Etymology

Reduplication of 一杯 (いっぱい, 'one cup' or 'full'), originally meaning 'one cup after another' and later extended to 'full to the brim' and figuratively 'at one's limit'.