Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Cannot complete or finish (an action).
🎯 Primary Function
To express the inability to fully carry out an action, often due to the overwhelming quantity of something or the complexity/difficulty of the action itself. It can also express an emotional inability to finish or forget something.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (ます-stem) + 切れない (きれない)
– 食べる (たべる) -> 食べ (たべ) + 切れない -> 食べきれない (tabekirenai)
– 読む (よむ) -> 読み (よみ) + 切れない -> 読みきれない (yomikirenai)
– 使う (つかう) -> 使い (つかい) + 切れない -> 使いきれない (tsukaikirenai)
– 忘れる (わすれる) -> 忘れ (わすれ) + 切れない -> 忘れきれない (wasurekirenai)
– 言う (いう) -> 言い (いい) + 切れない -> 言いきれない / 言い切れない (iikirenai)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, often in formal writing or speeches, maintaining a slightly formal tone depending on the main verb and surrounding context.
Informal Situations
Very common in casual conversation.
Written Language
Used in various written materials, from novels and articles to personal messages.
Spoken Language
Frequently used in everyday speech.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing inability to eat all food.
Used when the amount of food is too much to finish eating.
Example: この料理は多すぎて、食べきれない。 (Kono ryōri wa ōsugite, tabekirenai.) – This dish is too much, I can’t finish eating it.
Expressing inability to read all books/documents.
Used when there are too many reading materials to get through.
Example: 課題の本が山積みで、読みきれないよ。(Kadai no hon ga yamatsumi de, yomikirenai yo.) – Assignment books are piled up, I can’t finish reading them.
Expressing inability to use something completely.
Used when the quantity of something is too large to use up.
Example: このインク、量が多すぎて使いきれない。(Kono inku, ryō ga ōsugite tsukaikirenai.) – This ink, the amount is too much, I can’t use it all up.
Frequency
High frequency in everyday Japanese.
Difficulty
N3 (understanding the core meaning) to N2 (grasping nuances and less common applications).
Example Sentences
この小説は面白くて、一日では読みきれなかった。
This novel was so interesting that I couldn’t finish reading it in one day.
残念ながら、全ての質問には答えきれませんでした。
Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish answering all the questions.
子供たちのエネルギーは使いきれないほどだ。
The children’s energy is so much that you can’t use it all up (it’s inexhaustible).
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Emphasizes inability to *complete*.
It’s not just “cannot do,” but specifically “cannot finish doing” the entire task or quantity.
Example: このケーキは大きすぎて、一人では食べきれない。(Kono keeki wa ōkisugite, hitori de wa tabekirenai.) – This cake is too big, I can’t finish eating it alone. (Implies you might eat *some*, but not all).
Often implies a large quantity or complexity.
The reason for not finishing is typically the sheer amount or difficulty.
Example: 宿題が多くて、今日中にはやりきれない。(Shukudai ga ōkute, kyōjū ni wa yarikirenai.) – There’s a lot of homework, I can’t finish doing it all by the end of today.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Confusing with simple potential form + negative (e.g., 食べられない vs. 食べきれない).
✅ 食べられない means “cannot eat” (due to physical inability, taste, etc.). 食べきれない means “cannot finish eating” (due to quantity).
切れない adds the nuance of failing to *complete* the action, often because there’s too much of something.
❌ Using it with verbs that don’t imply a clear endpoint or quantity.
✅ It’s typically used with verbs that have a natural endpoint or are applied to countable/quantifiable things (食べる, 読む, 使う, 話す, etc.). While some emotional verbs work (忘れる), verbs like 見る (to see) or 聞く (to hear) usually wouldn’t take 切れない unless referring to seeing/hearing *everything* or *everyone* in a large group (e.g., 全員を見きれない – can’t see everyone).
The core idea is ‘to cut’ or ‘to finish off’. The verb needs to connect conceptually to finishing or exhausting something.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to slightly polite when used with the ます-stem. Can be used in both formal and informal situations. Saying 「〜きれません」 (kiremasen) is more polite than 「〜きれない」 (kirenai).
Social Situations: Often used when declining more food politely (e.g., もうお腹いっぱいで食べきれません – My stomach is full already, I can’t finish eating).
Regional Variations: Standard grammar, widely understood across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜きれない vs 〜られない (potential negative)
〜きれない focuses on the inability to *complete* the action, often due to quantity or scale. 〜られない focuses on the general inability to perform the action.
When to use: Use 〜きれない when you started or could potentially do the action, but cannot finish it entirely (e.g., too much homework to *finish*). Use 〜られない when you cannot do the action at all (e.g., cannot eat spicy food).
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Always attach to the ます-stem (連用形 – ren’yōkei) of the verb. It functions as a compound verb.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced きれない (kirenai). The き (ki) is pronounced clearly. There’s a subtle pause before 切れない when attaching it to the verb stem, but it flows naturally in speaking.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 切る (kiru) meaning “to cut” or “to finish”. 切れない literally means “cannot cut/finish”. Imagine trying to cut a huge piece of cake – you can’t finish cutting/eating it all: 食べきれない.
Practice Exercises
部屋が散らかっていて、一人では_____。(片付けきれない / 片付けられない)
片付けきれない
片付けられない
片付ける
片付けた
あの映画の結末は、本当に_____だった。(理解しきれない / 理解できない)
理解しきれない
理解できない
理解する
理解した
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