Vたきり・Nきり — Did it and that was that; only, just | JLPT N3 grammar

Meaning

1) Vた＋きり: after an action, the expected follow-up never came and things stayed that way (出かけたきり帰ってこない 'went out and never came back'). 2) N＋きり／っきり: 'only, just, and nobody/nothing else' (二人きり 'just the two of us', 一回きり 'one single time').

Formation

Vた＋きり(だ／で): 出かける → 出かけたきり(帰ってこない), 会う → 一度会ったきりだ
Vた＋きりの＋N: 寝る → 寝たきりの祖父 (bedridden grandfather)
N＋きり: 二人 → 二人きり, 一回 → 一回きり
Colloquial っきり: 二人っきり, 一度っきり
Demonstratives: それ → それきり 'that was the end of it', これ → これっきり 'this one last time'

When to use it

Where to use it: 1) When a follow-up was expected after an event but never happened: 一度会ったきり, 買ったきり使っていない, 出かけたきり連絡がない. 2) To stress that there is only this and nothing more: 二人きりで話したい, チャンスは一回きりだ.
Where not to use it: Grammar: meaning 1 requires the た-form (✗出かけるきり); the second clause usually describes the absence of a follow-up or a frozen state, not a new action that came right after. Style: っきり is colloquial; in formal writing, だけ or のみ is more natural than Nきり.

Examples

20 sentences

息子むすこは朝あさ出かけたでかけたきり、まだ帰ってかえってこない。
My son went out this morning and still hasn't come back.
彼かれとは、去年きょねんの夏なつに一度いちど会ったあったきりです。
I've met him only once, last summer, and never since.
このギターは、買ったかったきり一度いちども弾いてひいていない。
I bought this guitar and haven't played it even once since.
祖父そふは、去年きょねん倒れてたおれてから寝たねたきりになった。
My grandfather collapsed last year and has been bedridden ever since.
友達ともだちにお金おかねを貸したかしたきり、まだ返してかえしてもらっていない。
I lent my friend some money, and I still haven't gotten it back.
そのメール、送ったおくったきりで返事へんじはないんですか？
You sent that email and still haven't heard anything back?
二人ふたりきりで、ゆっくり話したいはなしたいことがあるんだ。
There's something I want to talk about calmly, just the two of us.
チャンスは一回いっかいきりだから、よく考えてかんがえて。
You only get one shot, so think it over carefully.

12 more examples

彼女かのじょとはけんかして、それきり会ってあっていない。
She and I had a fight, and I haven't seen her since.
こんなことは、これっきりにしてくださいね。
Please let this be the last time this happens, okay?
この本ほんは、最初さいしょの数すうページを読んだよんだきりだ。
I read only the first few pages of this book and never went any further.
兄あには東京とうきょうに出たでたきり、めったに帰ってかえってきません。
My brother moved to Tokyo and has hardly come home since.
昼ひるにパンを一つひとつ食べたたべたきりで、お腹おなかがぺこぺこだ。
All I've eaten is one roll at lunch, so I'm starving.
彼女かのじょとは、卒業そつぎょうしたきり会ってあっていないの？
You haven't seen her since graduation?
結婚式けっこんしきで一度いちど着たきたきりのドレスを、妹いもうとにあげた。
I gave my younger sister the dress I had worn only once, at a wedding.
初めてはじめての海外かいがいで、一人ひとりきりになるのは不安ふあんだった。
On my first trip abroad, I was nervous about being all on my own.
一度いちどきりの人生じんせいだから、やりたいことをやろう。
We only live once, so let's do what we want.
やっと二人ふたりっきりになれたね。
We're finally alone together.
友達ともだちは先月せんげつアメリカへ行きいき、それきり連絡れんらくがない。
My friend went to America last month, and I haven't heard from him since.
彼かれとの付き合いつきあいも、これきりだ。
This is the end of my relationship with him, too.

Important notes

Vたきり usually implies the follow-up was expected, so it sounds worried, disappointed or surprised: 息子は朝出かけたきり、まだ帰らない.
寝たきり is a set word 'bedridden' — 寝たきりの祖父. It is really meaning 1: 'lay down and never got up again'.

Common mistakes

✗ 彼とは去年一度会うきりだ → ✓ 一度会ったきりだ — the 'and nothing since' meaning needs the た-form.
✗ 父は出かけたきりで、すぐ帰ってきた → ✓ 父は出かけたが、すぐ帰ってきた — きり says nothing followed; 'came right back' contradicts it.
△ 日本に来たきり、ずっと東京に住んでいる (meant a neutral 'have lived here since') → 日本に来て以来、ずっと東京に住んでいる — きり adds 'came and just got stuck, nothing changed'; for a neutral 'ever since', use て以来.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

Sentence 1: 彼女かのじょとはけんかして、それきり会ってあっていない。 She and I had a fight, and I haven't seen her since.I just ate lunch.I haven't seen him once since graduation.
Sentence 2: 結婚式けっこんしきで一度いちど着たきたきりのドレスを、妹いもうとにあげた。 I gave my younger sister the dress I had worn only once, at a wedding.I've lived in this apartment ever since I came to Japan.I just came to Japan.
Sentence 3: 彼かれとの付き合いつきあいも、これきりだ。 This is the end of my relationship with him, too.Since his operation, my grandfather hasn't had a single drop of alcohol.The rain has just stopped, and a rainbow appeared in the sky.