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N3 — outside your level filter

〜きり

〜きりkiriN3neutral

きり

just that many and no more — 一度いちどきり, 二人ふたりきり

残のこっていたのは、二枚にまいきりだった。

nokotte ita no wa, nimai kiri datta.

There were just two left. neutral

今日きょうは二人ふたりっきりで話はなしたいんだけど。

kyou wa futarikkiri de hanashitai n da kedo.

I'd like to talk today with just the two of us. casual

All examples5

just that many and no more — caps a count, usually small

  1. 残のこっていたのは、二枚にまいきりだった。

    nokotte ita no wa, nimai kiri datta.

    There were just two left. neutral

  2. あの人ひとと会あったのは、一度いちどきりだ。

    ano hito to atta no wa, ichido kiri da.

    I met him exactly the once, and that was that. neutral

  3. 一度いちどきりの機会きかいですので、ぜひご参加さんかください。

    ichido kiri no kikai desu node, zehi go sanka kudasai.

    This is a one-time opportunity, so do please join us. formal

just the two of us — きり says nobody else is there

  1. 今日きょうは二人ふたりっきりで話はなしたいんだけど。

    kyou wa futarikkiri de hanashitai n da kedo.

    I'd like to talk today with just the two of us. casual

  2. 子供こどもが独立どくりつして、今いまは夫婦ふうふ二人ふたりきりで暮くらしている。

    kodomo ga dokuritsu shite, ima wa fuufu futari kiri de kurashite iru.

    The children have moved out, and these days it is just the two of us at home. neutral

How it's formed1

All forms4

  • っきりkkiricolloquial

    A small っ added for emphasis, spoken only — 一度いちどっきり, 二人ふたりっきり. It can grumble or sound cosy; plain きり just counts.

  • きりでkiridealternant

    で hands the count off to a verb — 二人ふたりきりで話はなしたい。

  • きりになるkirininarualternant

    The count dropping this low is the event itself — 子供こどもが独立どくりつして、夫婦ふうふ二人ふたりきりになった。

  • as a predicateきりだkirida

Notes

This isn't the きり of つきっきり. That one hangs off a verb, meaning never leaving
someone's side.