きり

noun

end; finish; stopping point

Used for a natural point at which something ends or can be stopped, especially in expressions such as きりがいい and きりをつける.

• 仕し事ごとのきりがいいところで休きゅう憩けいしよう。

  Let's take a break when we reach a good stopping point in the work.

• この話はなしにそろそろきりをつけよう。

  Let's bring this discussion to an end soon.

noun

limit; bound; end

Most familiar in negative expressions such as きりがない, meaning that there is no end or no limit to something.

See also: きりがない

• 欲よくを言いえばきりがない。

  There is no end to wanting more.

• 細こまかいミスを探さがし始はじめるときりがない。

  If you start looking for tiny mistakes, there is no end to it.

noun

delivery date of a futures contract

Only when written 限り / 限

Specialized finance term for the delivery date or settlement timing of a futures contract; Restricted this sense to 限り or 限.

• 先さき物もの取とり引ひきでは、「限かぎり」は受うけ渡わたし期き日じつを指さす専せん門もん語ごとして使つかわれる。

  In futures trading, 限り is used as a technical term for the delivery date.

noun

finale of a Noh chant; end of an act; last performance of the day

Traditional performing-arts term used for endings or final items in Noh, jōruri, kabuki, or vaudeville-style performance contexts.

• 芸げい能のう史しの本ほんでは、能のうの謡うたいの終おわりを「切きり」と呼よぶ説せつ明めいがある。

  Books on performing-arts history explain that the end of a Noh chant can be called 切り.

noun

trump card; king card in old karuta games

Older or specialized card-game terminology. For the ordinary modern word 'trump card' in a figurative sense, 切り札 is much more common.

• 古ふるいカード遊あそびでは、「切きり」が切きり札ふだを意い味みすることがある。

  In old card games, 切り can mean a trump card.

• めくりカルタやうんすんカルタでは、「切きり」が王おうの札ふだを指さす。

  In mekuri karuta and unsun karuta, 切り refers to the king card.

noun

cut in go; separation of two groups

Only with reading キリ

Go term for a move that cuts or separates stones; this is usually written キリ.

• 白しろのキリで、黒くろの石いしが二ふたつに分わかれた。

  White's cut separated Black's stones into two groups.

counter

counter for slices; counter for cuts of fish or meat

A counter for slices or cut portions, especially thicker pieces of fish or meat; in everyday modern Japanese, 切れ is often the safer and more common counter.

• 魚さかなの切きり身みを「一ひとつきり、二ふたつきり」と数かぞえる用よう法ほうもある。

  There is also a usage that counts pieces of cut fish as 一きり, 二きり.

particle

only; just

Particle-like use after a noun, number, or phrase, meaning 'only' or 'just'; also appears as っきり, and may be pronounced ぎり in some combinations.

See also: っきり

• 二人ふたりきりで話はなしたい。

  I want to talk with you alone, just the two of us.

• 一いち度どきりの人じん生せいだから、後こう悔かいしたくない。

  Since you only live once, I don't want to have regrets.

particle

ever since; after

Used after a past event, usually with a negative main clause, to mean that something has not happened since then.

• 彼かれとは卒そつ業ぎょう式しきで会あったきり、連れん絡らくを取とっていない。

  I haven't been in touch with him since I saw him at the graduation ceremony.

particle

remaining in a state; continuously

Used after a past-tense verb to show that the resulting state continues, as in 寝たきり; sometimes overlaps with っぱなし but is not identical in nuance.

• 祖そ父ふは去きょ年ねんから寝ねたきりだ。

  My grandfather has been bedridden since last year.

• 窓まどは開あいたきりになっている。

  The window has been left open.