～限り (conditional)

• Reading: かぎり
• Romaji: kagiri
• Formation: Verb plain form + 限り / Adj-い + 限り / Adj-な + な/である + 限り / Noun + の/である + 限り
• Kanji breakdown: 限 (limit, restrict)

Meaning

A conjunction meaning 'as long as' or 'so long as,' expressing that a certain condition must be met for the main clause to hold true. It sets a boundary condition for the statement.

限り (かぎり) in its conditional sense establishes a prerequisite: the result in the main clause is valid only while the condition stated before 限り remains in effect. It attaches to verb plain forms (dictionary or ている), い-adjective plain forms, な-adjective + な/である, and noun + の/である. The nuance differs from ～間 (while), which is purely temporal. 限り implies an active commitment or maintained state as a condition. Common patterns include 知っている限り (as far as I know), 生きている限り (as long as I live), and 努力する限り (as long as one makes effort). The negative form ない限り means 'unless.'

Examples

1. 努力し続ける限り夢は叶う可能性がある。 As long as you keep making effort, your dreams have a chance of coming true.
2. 私が知っている限りそのような事実はありません。 As far as I know, there is no such fact.
3. 健康である限りこの仕事を続けたいと思います。 As long as I am healthy, I want to continue this work.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: conditional

Do Say

• ルールを守る限り自由に使っていいですよ。
• 可能な限り早めに返事をいたします。
• 証拠がない限り彼を疑うべきではない。

Don't Say

• 昨日限り勉強しました。(Using 限り for a completed past action — conditional 限り sets an ongoing condition, not a one-time past event) → 昨日勉強しました。
• 明日は暑い限り泳ぎに行く。(Using 限り for a simple temporal condition — use なら or たら for straightforward 'if' conditions about single future events) → 明日暑かったら泳ぎに行く。

Origin & History

The noun 限り comes from the verb 限る (to limit). Its conditional usage developed from the idea of setting a boundary — 'within the limits of this condition being true.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal