And nothing since: 〜きり
Verb-た + きり ; これ／それ／あれ + きり ; 二人きり, 一度きり
Verb-た + きり: an action took place, then no follow-up at all (出かけたきり帰らない). Number or これ／それ + きり: “only, nothing more”. In speech: っきり.
In short
〜たきり says an action took place, and then nothing: the expected follow-up never came (出かけたきり帰ってこない). After a number or これ／それ, きり means “only, nothing more” (二人きり, 一度きり, これきり). In speech, it's often strengthened to っきり.
- 兄は朝出かけたきり、まだ帰ってこない。あにはあさでかけたきり、まだかえってこない。My older brother went out this morning and still hasn't come back.
- 彼とは十年前に一度会ったきりだ。かれとはじゅうねんまえにいちどあったきりだ。I've only met him once, ten years ago, and never since.
- やっと二人きりになれたね。やっとふたりきりになれたね。Alone together at last.
The basics
きり comes from 切る, “to cut”: after this action, the thread is cut. 〜たきり is “that happened, and since then, nothing”. The second part is almost always negative: you were expecting a follow-up (a return, a reply, a repayment) that never came.
The tone is often one of worry or reproach. It translates as “and nothing since”, “and never again”, “without ever…”.
My brother went out this morning and still hasn't come back.
- noun
- verb
- grammatical form
- 田中さんにお金を貸したが、それっきり返してくれない。たなかさんにおかねをかしたが、それっきりかえしてくれない。I lent Tanaka some money, and since then, nothing: he's never paid it back.
The forms of きり
After a past-tense verb: “and nothing since”. After a number or これ／それ／あれ: “only, solely”. There's also 寝たきり (“bedridden”), which has become a word in its own right. っきり is the spoken, expressive form.
| Construction | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb-た + きり | done once, nothing since | 出かけたきり帰らない |
| それきり／それっきり | since then, nothing | それっきり連絡がない |
| これきり | this is the last time | うそはこれきりにして |
| Number + きり | only | 二人きり、一度きり |
| 寝たきり | bedridden | 寝たきりの父 |
- うそをつくのは、これきりにしてください。うそをつくのは、これきりにしてください。Let that be the last lie, please.
- 週末は家族四人きりで過ごした。しゅうまつはかぞくよにんきりですごした。We spent the weekend just the four of us, as a family.
Don't confuse: きり, たまま, っぱなし, だけ
たまま (N3): a state stays in place while something else happens (窓を開けたまま寝た). っぱなし (N3): you leave something in a state, through carelessness (電気をつけっぱなし). たきり: a single action, then no follow-up at all. だけ: “only”, neutral; きり adds a note of intimacy or lack (二人きり = alone in the world).
Watch out too for 〜きる (N3): 食べきる, “eat it all up”. Same origin, but here it's a verb expressing completion.
| Construction | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜たきり | once, and then nothing | 会ったきりだ |
| 〜たまま | a state that persists | くつをはいたまま入った |
| 〜っぱなし | left as is, carelessness | 水を出しっぱなしにした |
| 〜きる | to the very end | ぜんぶ食べきった |
- 電気をつけっぱなしで出かけてしまった。でんきをつけっぱなしででかけてしまった。I went out and left the light on. (っぱなし)
- くつをはいたまま部屋に入ってはいけない。くつをはいたままへやにはいってはいけない。You mustn't come into the room with your shoes on. (たまま)
Common mistakes
- Mixing up きり and きる: 食べきった = “I ate it all”; 食べたきり = “I ate, and then nothing”.
- Using it for an intended, lasting state (窓を開けたきり寝た): for a state that persists, it's たまま.
- Forgetting that what follows is negative: 出かけたきり calls for 帰ってこない, 連絡がない.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N2 point is on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line (History and traditions) of the Nagoya lines.