“〜kagiri de wa・〜kagiri”: As Far As 〜 / To the Best of My Knowledge [JLPT N3]

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

「私の知る限りでは」 — a claim fenced off to what you actually know or saw.

「私の知る限りでは」 — 「限りでは」, as far as I know / within the scope of ~

Asked whether someone is reliable, you cautiously say 「私の知る限りでは、彼は信頼できる人だ」 (as far as I know, he's trustworthy) — 「(verb dictionary form／た-form) ＋ 限(かぎ)りでは」 means “within the scope of ~, as far as ~ knows,” making a judgment based on your own limited knowledge, observation, or investigation, implying “beyond that scope, no guarantee.” This guide covers 「限りでは」's attachment, that “cautious, leaving room” feel, and separates it from 「によると」.

Core: within what I know/have seen, it's like this (no guarantee beyond)

「〜限りでは」 = “a statement bounded by a certain scope of awareness” — judging by the scope of what you know, have seen, investigated, or heard, implying it may differ beyond that:

• 知る限りでは = as far as I know: 私の知る限りでは、そんな規則はない (as far as I know, there's no such rule).
• 見た/調べた限りでは = within what I saw/checked: 調べた限りでは、問題はなかった (within what I checked, there was no problem).

Feel: “within my awareness… (beyond it I can't guarantee),” cautious, leaving room.

How to Connect

Examples in context

• 私の知る限りでは、彼はとても信頼できる人だ。(As far as I know, he's very trustworthy.) — know
• 資料を読んだ限りでは、間違いは見つからなかった。(Within what I read of the material, I found no errors.) — read
• 見た限りでは、この製品に問題はなさそうだ。(From what I saw, this product seems fine.) — see
• 私が調べた限りでは、そのような事実はない。(As far as I checked, there's no such fact.) — investigate
• 彼女から聞いた限りでは、状況はそれほど深刻ではない。(From what I heard from her, the situation isn't that serious.) — hear

⚠️ Easy traps to avoid

① Mostly with ‘perception verbs' (知る・見る・聞く・調べる). 限りでは means “within the scope you ‘learned/observed,'” so it mostly takes verbs of cognition/perception (知る, 見る, 聞く, 調べる, 読む): 知る限りでは, 見た限りでは. ✗ 走る限りでは (run isn't a perception verb — unnatural). Use verbs of “learning, seeing.”

② 「限りでは」 (within a scope, leaving room) vs 「によると」 (according to a source). 限りでは = bounded by one's own scope of awareness (as far as I know/saw, implying no guarantee beyond); によると = citing a source (according to the forecast/news/what someone said…). 限りでは stresses “the limit of the scope, caution,” によると stresses “the source of the info.” For a humble “as far as I know” use 限りでは; to cite a source use によると.

③ Separate it from 「限り」's other uses. 「限り」 also has 「〜ない限り (unless), 〜限り (as long as / during ~), できる限り (as much as possible)」. Here 「〜限りでは」 specifically means “within the scope of ~ (awareness),” with 「では」 marking the bounded scope. Don't mix it with the other 限り.

🔄 Nuance & comparison: 限りでは／によると／ところによると／かぎり

💡 Quick takeaway

The core of 「限りでは」 is “a cautious statement bounded by one's own scope of awareness” — 私の知る限りでは (as far as I know), 調べた限りでは (within what I checked), 見た限りでは (from what I saw). Its essence is leaving room, not stating it as absolute: implying “within what I know/saw it's like this; beyond that I can't guarantee.” Two points: ① mostly with perception verbs (知る, 見る, 聞く, 調べる, 読む), not non-perception verbs like 「走る」; ② separate it from 「によると」 — 限りでは is “within my scope of awareness (cautious),” によると is “citing a source.” For a humble, cautious “as far as I know…,” 限りでは is spot-on and sounds professional.

❓ FAQ

Q: How do I tell 「限りでは」 from 「によると」?

By “bounded by one's own awareness” vs “citing an external source.” 「限りでは」 = within the scope of what ‘I know/saw/checked' (bounded by one's own limited awareness, cautious, leaving room): 私の知る限りでは、彼に前科はない (as far as I know, he has no record — my scope), 調べた限りでは、問題ない (within what I checked, no problem — implying there may be things I didn't check). The subject is “I,” stressing “the limit of the scope.” 「によると」 = according to a source (citing the forecast, news, a rumor, someone's words): 天気予報によると、明日は雨だ (according to the forecast, rain tomorrow — citing the forecast), 彼の話によると、会議は延期らしい (according to him, the meeting's postponed — citing his words). The subject is “an external source,” stressing “where the info comes from.” So: “as far as I know (my own scope)” → 限りでは; “according to ~ (an external source)” → によると. One humbly notes one's limited awareness, the other marks where the info came from.

Q: What verbs can precede 「限りでは」?

Mainly verbs of ‘cognition, perception, investigation' — because 「限りでは」 is about “the scope of what you ‘learned/observed,'” so the verb must be one that produces a “scope of awareness”: 知る (知る限りでは = as far as I know), 見る (見た限りでは = from what I saw), 聞く (聞いた限りでは = from what I heard), 調べる (調べた限りでは = as far as I checked), 読む (読んだ限りでは = from what I read), 覚えている (覚えている限りでは = as far as I remember). These are all verbs of “obtaining information through it.” ✗ 走る限りでは, ✗ 食べる限りでは (running, eating don't produce a “scope of awareness” — unnatural). Mnemonic: before 限りでは, use a verb of “learning/observing through it” (know/see/hear/check/read). On tense, ongoing awareness uses the dictionary form (知る限りでは), a completed observation uses the た-form (調べた限りでは).

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「私が___限りでは、彼は信頼できる人だ。」(as far as I know)

(A) 知る　(B) 知らない　(C) 知れ　(D) 知ろう

Q2. 「資料を読んだ___、間違いはない。」(as far as what I've read)

(A) 限りでは　(B) かぎりに　(C) ばかりに　(D) どころか

Q3. 「見た限りでは問題ない」の意味は?

(A) As far as I could see, there's no problem

(B) Definitely no problem

(C) Didn't look at all

(D) Looked but there's a problem

Q4. 「限りでは」とよく一緒に使う動詞は?

(A) 知る・見る・調べる・聞く (perception verbs)　(B) 食べる・飲む　(C) 走る・歩く　(D) 寝る・起きる

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 私の知る限りでは正しい。　(B) 私が知る限りではの正しい。

(C) 知った限りではに。　(D) 知る限りでをは。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) 知る ── 私の知る限りでは (as far as I know).

2. (A) 限りでは ── As far as what I've read.

3. (A) ── As far as I could see, no problem.

4. (A) ── Often pairs with perception verbs.

5. (A) ── 「知る限りでは」is correct.