限る

• 読み: かぎる
• ローマ字: kagiru
• 漢字の分解: 限 (kagi/gen) — limit, restrict, boundary
• 発音: /ka.ɡi.ɾɯ/

意味

To restrict; to limit; to confine. Setting boundaries or establishing that something applies only under specific conditions.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugating with the r-row (限る → 限らない → 限って). Extremely versatile in set patterns: ～に限る (nothing beats ~, is the best), ～に限って (only when ~, limited to ~), ～とは限らない (not necessarily the case that ~). The passive form 限られた (limited) is also very common. A high-frequency grammar word essential for N3.

例文

1. 夏はビールに限る。
2. 高いものがいいとは限らない。
3. 参加者は二十人に限ります。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, rules, opinions

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

The kanji 限 combines a hill/boundary (阝) and an eye looking down (艮), suggesting looking from a boundary — seeing the edge of something. The idea of a visible boundary that restricts further progress.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal