“〜kagiri (wa)・nai kagiri”: As Long As / Unless [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「生きているかぎり」vs「謝らないかぎり」 — “as long as 〜” vs “unless 〜” (two sides of one boundary).

「日本にいるかぎりは、日本語で頑張る」 — the boundary of “as long as／unless”

「日本にいるかぎりは、日本語で頑張る」 (as long as I'm in Japan, I'll push myself in Japanese) — the same 「限り」, switched to 「〜（ている）かぎりは」, becomes a condition: as long as ～ (this state holds), then …. Conversely 「〜ないかぎり」 = unless ～, (otherwise) not …. This guide covers 「限り」's conditional use (as long as／unless); it's a different face of the same word from the scope・source 〈知る限り／できる限り〉 guide — read them side by side.

Core: かぎりは = as long as, ないかぎり = unless

「限り」 literally is “boundary, scope”; after a continuing state it marks a condition:

• 〜（ている／である）かぎり（は）= as long as ～ (then): it draws a line — “within the range of this state holding, then ….” 生きているかぎり = as long as one lives.
• 〜ないかぎり（は）= unless ～, (otherwise) not …: “as long as ～ doesn't happen, … stays not …” = unless a condition is met, the result won't change. 謝らないかぎり、許さない = unless you apologize, I won't forgive.

Feel: “as long as ～ (then)／unless ～ (otherwise not)” — both draw the boundary of a condition: as long as the line isn't crossed (state holds／condition unmet), the result stays unchanged.

Forms & attachment

Example sentences

• 体が動くかぎり、働き続けたい。(As long as my body can move, I want to keep working.)
• 私が担当しているかぎりは、責任を持ちます。(As long as I'm in charge, I'll take responsibility.)
• 本人が認めないかぎり、処分はできない。(Unless the person admits it, no penalty can be imposed.)
• 練習しないかぎり、上達は望めない。(Unless you practice, you can't hope to improve.)
• 特別な事情がないかぎり、参加してください。(Unless there are special circumstances, please attend.)

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① 「〜ないかぎり」 = unless ～, otherwise not; don't drop the ‘negative/unchanged' main clause. 「〜ないかぎり」 = “unless ～, (the result) won't ….” It's “as long as ～ doesn't happen, … stays not …” — the main clause is almost always negative or “stays unchanged”: 謝らないかぎり、許さない (unless you apologize, I won't forgive); 証拠がないかぎり、逮捕できない (unless there's evidence, no arrest can be made). Chinese “除非” is often followed by an affirmative (“除非你去,我才去”), but Japanese 「ないかぎり」's main clause is negative/non-established — “unless ～, (otherwise) not ….” Translating, grab the frame “unless … otherwise not ….”

② Tell 「かぎりは」's ‘as long as' from 「限り」's ‘scope/basis'. Same 「限り」: after a continuing state (〜ている・である) = conditional ‘as long as' (いるかぎりは = as long as here); after できる/知る/見た = scope/basis (知る限り = as far as I know, see 〈限り〉 hub). Test: if what follows is “then will…/won't…” (a conditional result) → as long as (かぎりは); if it's “within the range of what I …” (limiting the basis) → scope (知る限り). Same word, different use — don't mix.

③ 「〜ないかぎり」 ≈ 「〜なければ／〜ない限り」, but stresses the ‘sole condition' more than 「〜なければ」. 「〜ないかぎり」 and 「〜なければ (if ～ doesn't)」 are close, but 「ないかぎり」 stresses more the exclusive, absolute tone of “unless this (sole) condition is met, absolutely not ….” 謝らなければ許さない (if you don't apologize, no forgiveness) vs 謝らないかぎり許さない (unless you apologize, absolutely no forgiveness — tougher, no other way). To convey “this is the only condition, no exception,” 「ないかぎり」 is strongest.

🔄 Nuance & comparison: 〜かぎりは／ないかぎり／〜なければ／〜ないうちは

💡 Quick takeaway

This guide is 「限り」's conditional face — two sentences suffice: 「〜（ている）かぎりは = as long as ～ then」「〜ないかぎり = unless ～ otherwise not.」 Two reminders: ① the 「ないかぎり」 main clause is negative/unchanged — “unless ～, (otherwise) not …” (謝らないかぎり許さない); don't be pulled off by the Chinese habit of an affirmative after “除非”; ② tell it apart from 「知る/できる限り」 — after a continuing state (ている/ある) it's a condition ‘as long as', after できる/知る/見た it's scope/basis ‘as far as I …' (see 〈限り〉 hub). Same word — the attachment tells you which face. To convey “this is the sole condition, no exception,” 「ないかぎり」 is more emphatic than 「なければ」.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: How do I translate 「〜ないかぎり」 without getting it wrong?

Grab the frame “unless ～, (otherwise) not ….” The structure of 「〜ないかぎり」 is “as long as ～ doesn't happen, … stays not …,” i.e. “unless the condition ‘～' is met, (the result) won't hold.” The key is that the main clause is almost always negative or “stays unchanged”: 謝らないかぎり、許さない (unless you apologize, no forgiveness); 値段が下がらないかぎり、買わない (unless the price drops, I won't buy); よほどのことがないかぎり、休まない (unless something major, I won't take leave). Chinese “除非” is sometimes followed by an affirmative (“除非你先去,我才去”), tempting you to write the Japanese affirmative too, but Japanese 「ないかぎり」's main clause is negative/non-established — “unless ～, (otherwise) not ….” So when translating, first confirm the main clause is “won't…/not…,” then fit “unless … otherwise not ….” If you truly need “only after ～ (affirmative),” Japanese switches to 「〜て初めて (only after ～)」 or the double-negative 「〜ない限り…ない」 to force an affirmative sense. Mnemonic: see 「ないかぎり」, supply a “negative” in the main clause, render as “unless … otherwise not ….”

Q: 「かぎり」 has so many uses (as long as／unless／as far as I know／as much as possible) — how do I tell them apart at a glance?

Look at what precedes 「限り」 and you know the face: ① after ‘ている・である・adjective' (continuing state) → conditional ‘as long as': 生きているかぎり (as long as one lives), 元気なかぎり (as long as healthy); ② after a ‘ない-form' → ‘unless ～ otherwise not': 謝らないかぎり (unless you apologize); ③ after ‘できる・可能な・noun の' → scope/limit ‘to the fullest': できる限り (as much as possible), 力の限り (with all one's might); ④ after ‘知る・見た・調べた' → source ‘as far as I …': 知る限り (as far as I know), 見た限り (as far as I saw). ①② are conditions (this guide), ③④ are scope/basis (see 〈限り〉 hub). An even faster test: look at the main clause — if it's “then will…/won't…” (result, resolve) → condition (as long as/unless); if it's “～はない/～だ” (stating something, the front limiting the basis) → scope/basis (as far as I know). Same 「限り」: attachment + main-clause type pins it in two seconds.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「私が担当している___、全力を尽くします。」(As long as I'm in charge)

(A) かぎり　(B) ばかり　(C) どころか　(D) ものの

Q2. 「謝罪が___かぎり、和解はない。」(There's no reconciliation unless there's an apology)

(A) ない　(B) ある　(C) する　(D) した

Q3. 「生きているかぎり希望はある」の意味は?

(A) As long as you're alive, there's hope

(B) There's hope only after death

(C) Even alive, there's no hope

(D) Unrelated to life or death

Q4. 「ないかぎり」が表すのは?

(A) Unless ～, (not) ...

(B) As long as ～, then

(C) Although ～, yet

(D) Because ～

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 努力しないかぎり成功しない。　(B) 努力するかぎりない成功。

(C) 努力したかぎり。　(D) 努力かぎり。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) かぎり ── As long as I'm in charge.

2. (A) ない ── Unless one apologizes (ないかぎり).

3. (A) ── As long as you're alive, there's hope.

4. (A) ── Unless ～, (not) ...

5. (A) ── 「努力しないかぎり成功しない」 is correct.