きる
Meaning
To do A completely, all the way to the end, or use up the entire amount; きれる (the potential form) means to be able to do A completely, and きれない means cannot do it all.
Conjugation
(A)Vます + きる: (A)Vます + きれる
Examples
Show translation
一人でケーキを5個食べ切ったの？おなかが痛くない？
夜空の星が多すぎて、とても数え切れない。
この図書館の本は多すぎて、一生かかっても全部は読み切れないだろう。
あの公園は本当に広いので、一日では回り切れない。
今月の給料は、もう全部使い切ってしまった。
彼は疲れていたが、最後まで走り切った。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.title
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 食べるきる
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 食べ切る
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: Attach きる to the verb's ます-stem, not to the dictionary form: 食べます → 食べ.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 読んで切る
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 読み切る
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: Do not use the て-form before きる; use the ます-stem: 読みます → 読み.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: この量は一人では食べ切るない。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: この量は一人では食べ切れない。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: To say that something cannot be finished, use the potential form 切れる, whose negative is 切れない. ない cannot be attached to the dictionary form 切る; 切らない is a different meaning ('does not finish it all').
Key points
Attach きる or きれる to the verb's ます-stem: 食べます → 食べ + きる. きる is a godan verb, and きれる is its potential form (an ichidan verb), used mostly in the negative: 食べ切れない.
This pattern emphasizes completing the whole task or using up the whole amount, often despite difficulty or effort. Unlike ～終わる, which simply says that an action finishes, ～きる emphasizes doing all of it; ～きれる emphasizes whether that is possible.
With verbs of state or feeling, it means 'to an extreme degree', as in 疲れ切る (be completely worn out) and 困り切る (be at a total loss).
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