～（っ）きり

• Reading: きり
• Romaji: kkiri
• Formation: Verb た-form + （っ）きり + Negative result / unchanged state

Meaning

A conjunction meaning 'since' or 'ever since,' indicating that after a certain event occurred, the expected continuation or return never happened. It implies that a state has remained unchanged since that point.

っきり (also written きり) expresses that since a particular event took place, no follow-up or change has occurred—often contrary to what one would expect. It frequently carries a nuance of disappointment, loneliness, or abandonment. Common patterns include ～たきり＋ない (hasn't done X since), ～たきり＋帰ってこない (hasn't come back since), and ～たきり＋連絡がない (no contact since). The pattern is distinct from 以来, which neutrally marks a starting point; っきり implies something should have happened but did not. It is used in both spoken and written Japanese, though more common in casual to neutral registers.

Examples

1. 祖父は三年前に入院したきり、一度も退院していない。 My grandfather was hospitalised three years ago and hasn't been discharged even once since.
2. 彼は留学に行ったきり、まったく連絡をよこさない。 He went abroad to study and hasn't sent any word at all since.
3. 昨夜読み始めた小説は、途中まで読んだきり本棚に置いたままだ。 The novel I started reading last night has been left on the bookshelf since I read partway through.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: regretful

Do Say

• 友人は海外に転勤したきり、音信不通になってしまった。
• 彼女は泣き出したきり、一言も話さなかった。
• 母にもらった万年筆は引き出しにしまったきり、使っていない。

Don't Say

• 毎日走ったきり元気になった。(Using きり with a positive outcome — きり implies an expected action did NOT follow) → 毎日走った結果、元気になった。
• 昨日食べたきり美味しかった。(Using きり as a simple past connector — it requires an unfulfilled expectation or unchanged state) → 昨日食べたら美味しかった。

Origin & History

きり derives from the verb 切る (to cut), implying a clean break or limit. The っきり form developed as an emphatic variant. The sense of 'only this and nothing more' naturally extended to temporal uses meaning 'since that point and nothing since.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal