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切る
N3 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today
kiru
to do something completely to the end
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🃏 Flashcard
切る
kiru
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to do something completely to the end
N3
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level N3
Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast
Reading kiru
Post ID 50856
Patterns today 0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes

to do something completely to the end

📖 How to use it

Used as a suffix after the ます-stem of a verb to emphasize that an action is carried out completely or to the end.

Attaches to Attach to the ます-stem (the form before ます) of a verb. For example, 食べる becomes 食べ, then add 切る: 食べ切る.

When 切る is attached to another verb's ます-stem, it adds the meaning of doing that action thoroughly, completely, or until the very end. It often implies that something is used up, finished, or overcome with effort. For example, 読み切る means to read something all the way through, and 疲れ切る means to be completely exhausted.

This pattern is often used with verbs that involve consumption, completion, or endurance. It can also carry a nuance of finality or extremity, like 困り切る (to be at a complete loss). In many cases, it suggests that the action was difficult or required reaching a limit.

In spoken Japanese, you'll hear it in contexts where someone finishes a large task or uses something up entirely. It's not overly formal, but it is more common in writing or in deliberate speech than in casual chat. For a lighter, more conversational way to say 'finish doing', you might use 終わる instead.

この本は長いけど、最後まで読み切ったよ。
Kono hon wa nagai kedo, saigo made yomikitta yo.
This book is long, but I read it all the way to the end.
ご飯を残さずに食べ切ってね。
Gohan o nokosazu ni tabekitte ne.
Eat all your rice without leaving any.
一日で仕事をやり切るのは難しい。
Ichinichi de shigoto o yarikiru no wa muzukashii.
It's hard to get all the work done in one day.
Not 終わる (owaru) as a suffix, e.g., 食べ終わる 終わる simply means 'to finish doing something' without extra nuance of completeness or exhaustion. 切る adds a sense of doing it to the very end, often with effort, or using something up completely.
Register Neutral, used in both speech and writing, but slightly more common in written or formal contexts.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
切る
📚 How to Master This Pattern
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Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat 切る three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
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Flip Before Reading
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Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using 切る. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
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Spaced Review
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern 切る mean? ▼
To do something completely to the end
What JLPT level is 切る? ▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use 切る in a sentence? ▼
Attach 切る (kiru) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is 切る formal or casual Japanese? ▼
切る is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember 切る long-term? ▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.