GRAMMAR
〜きり ③
still ~ing
continuously
Explanation
NOTE
〜きり (sense ③) means still ~ing or continuously — a state begins and never changes after.
祖父は去年から寝たきりだ。
My grandfather has been bedridden since last year.
寝たきり is a fixed expression for *bedridden* — a state that began and continues unchanged.
NOTE
Unlike sense ① (since) or sense ② (only), sense ③ stresses an unchanging state with no return to normal.
NOTE
With the verb た-form, 〜きり shows that the action happened and the state has continued ever since.
STRUCTURE
Vた+きり
娘は部屋に閉じこもったきり、出てこない。
Musume wa heya ni tojikomotta kiri, dete konai.
My daughter has shut herself in her room and won't come out.
祖母は病気で寝たきりになった。
Sobo wa byouki de netakiri ni natta.
My grandmother became bedridden due to illness.
彼は椅子に座ったきり、動こうとしない。
Kare wa isu ni suwatta kiri, ugokou to shinai.
He sat down on the chair and won't try to move.
NOTE
With the verb masu-stem, 〜きり means devoting oneself entirely to that action, with no break.
STRUCTURE
Vます+きり
母は祖父に付ききりで看病している。
Haha wa sofu ni tsukikiri de kanbyou shite iru.
My mother is constantly by my grandfather's side, nursing him.
看護師が患者に付ききりだった。
Kangoshi ga kanja ni tsukikiri datta.
The nurse stayed with the patient the whole time.
娘に付ききりで勉強を教えた。
Musume ni tsukikiri de benkyou wo oshieta.
I taught my daughter her studies, staying by her the whole time.
Practice exercises
1
朝からずっと働き働き切りで、眠そうだ。
I've been continuously working since morning, and I look sleepy.
Answer
働き切り
2
忙しくて、休みなしで働き働き切りの気がする。
I'm busy, so I feel like I'm continuously working without a break.
Answer
働き切り
3
彼は最近なにやら考え考え切りで、元気がない。
Lately, he's been continuously thinking about something, and doesn't have energy.
Answer
考え切り
4
入院の父に付き付き切りで、大変だった。
It was tough, continuously attending to my hospitalized father.
Answer
付き切り
5
困難な状況にも、諦めずに戦い戦い切りだった。
Despite the difficult situation, I continuously fought without giving up.
Answer
戦い切り