GRAMMAR
〜切れない
being unable to finish
Explanation
NOTE
〜きれない means unable to finish or too much to complete — the quantity or degree is too great to fully accomplish.
料理が多すぎて食べきれない。
There is too much food to eat it all.
Used here to express that an action (eating) cannot be completed due to an excess in quantity.
NOTE
The impossibility comes from excess, not inability. Common: 食べきれない, 言いきれない, 数えきれない.
STRUCTURE
Vます
きれない仕事が多すぎて一日では終わりきれない。
Shigoto ga oosugite ichinichi de wa owarikirenai.
There is too much work to finish in one day.
彼女の優しさは言葉では言いきれない。
Kanojo no yasashisa wa kotoba de wa iikirenai.
Her kindness cannot be fully expressed in words.
星の数は数えきれないほどある。
Hoshi no kazu wa kazoekirenai hodo aru.
There are so many stars they cannot be fully counted.
Practice exercises
1
本が多すぎて一週間では読みきれない。
There are too many books to finish reading in a week.
Answer
きれない
2
材料が多くて使いきれない。
There are too many ingredients to use them all up.
Answer
きれない
3
感謝の気持ちは言葉では言いきれない。
Feelings of gratitude cannot be fully expressed in words.
Answer
きれない
4
被災者たちの苦しみは簡単には理解し切れないものがある。
There are aspects of the disaster victims' suffering that cannot be fully understood easily.
Answer
切れない
5
食べ切れないほど料理がある。
There is more food than I can possibly eat.
Answer
切れない
6
夜空の星は数え切れないほどある。
There are so many stars in the night sky they cannot all be counted.
Answer
切れない
7
彼への感謝は言葉では言い切れない。
My gratitude toward him cannot be fully expressed in words.
Answer
切れない
8
仕事が山積みで、とても一人では処理し切れない。
Work is piling up, and it cannot be fully handled by one person.
Answer
切れない