“〜wo kagiri ni”: With 〜 as the Last (ending an action) [JLPT N2]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
Mastering 〜を限りに to take your Japanese up a level!
“〜wo kagiri ni”: With 〜 as the Last / From 〜 No Longer (ending an action)
「(time/date noun) ＋ を限(かぎ)りに」 means “with 〜 as the last, from this point on no longer…” — a behavior or state ends, ceases as of that time. E.g. 「今日を限りに、この会社を去ることになった」 (as of today, I'll be leaving this company), 「この大会を限りに、現役を引退します」 (with this tournament as my last, I'm retiring). It treats a time point as the “cutoff for ending,” common for announcing endings and farewells.
🧠 Core nuance: up to this point, and that's the end
The core is using a time point as the boundary, ceasing from then on: something (employment, business, smoking, an active career) lasts up to that time point (today, this tournament, end of this month) and no longer continues past it (quit as of today, retire with this match as the last). を限りに equals を最後に (with … as the last), focusing on “the moment it ends.” Preceded mostly by a time, date, or specific event. Common for formally announcing termination or farewell, dignified in tone.
📌 How to Connect
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (time/date) ＋ を限りに | with 〜 as the last | 今日を限りに |
| (event) ＋ を限りに | with 〜 as the last | この試合を限りに |
| (note) ≒ を最後に | the cutoff for ending | 〜を限りに引退 |
💬 Example Sentences
- 今日を限りに、長年勤めたこの会社を去ることになりました。(As of today, I'll be leaving this company I worked at for years.) — with 〜 as the last
- このコンサートを限りに、彼はステージから引退した。(With this concert as his last, he retired from the stage.) — cease
- 今月を限りに、当店は閉店させていただきます。(As of this month, our shop will close for good.) — announcing an ending
- この大会を限りに、現役を退くことを決意した。(With this tournament as my last, I resolved to retire.) — farewell
- 今日を限りに、たばこはきっぱりやめる。(As of today, I'm quitting smoking for good.) — no longer from now
🔄 Compare: を限りに vs を最後に vs に限って vs に限る
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を限りに | “with 〜 as the last (ending)” (announcing an end) | 今日を限りに引退 |
| 〜を最後に | “with 〜 as the last” (synonym, general) | これを最後にやめる |
| 〜に限って | “of all times, 〜” (ironic) | 急ぐ日に限って遅れる |
| 〜に限る | “nothing beats 〜” (recommendation) | 夏はビールに限る |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Confusing with に限って・に限る: を限りに = with … as the last (ending); に限って = of all times; に限る = nothing beats — all entirely different!
- Using を: time/event ＋ を限りに (✗ に限りに for ending).
- Preceded by a time/event: mostly today, this month, this tournament — times or events usable as a cutoff.
- Latter is an ending: the latter is the end of a behavior (retire, close, leave), not continuation.
💡 Nuance & When to Use
を限りに means “with 〜 as the last, from 〜 no longer…,” treating a time point as the cutoff for ending, where a behavior ceases as of that point (quit as of today, retire with this match, close as of this month). It equals を最後に, dignified in tone, common for formally announcing termination or farewell. Preceded by a time, date, or specific event. ⚠️ Especially, don't confuse it with the look-alikes に限って (of all times) and に限る (nothing beats). A must at N2.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- High-frequency N2: (time/event) ＋ を限りに = with 〜 as the last, ending (≒ を最後に).
- Connection: uses を; preceded by a time/event usable as a cutoff.
- Key trap: を限りに (ending) ≠ に限って (of all times) ≠ に限る (nothing beats) — all entirely different!
🖊️ 練習題（5 題）
Q1. 「___、彼女はこの会社を去ることになった。」（以今天為最後，她將離開這家公司）
(A) 今日に限って (B) 今日を限りに (C) 今日に限り (D) 今日までに
Q2. 「この大会___、現役を引退します。」（以這次大賽為最後，退役）
(A) を限りに (B) に限って (C) に限る (D) を契機に
Q3. 「暑い日は冷たいものを食べる___。」（講到最愛，炎熱天氣只有吃冷食最好）
(A) を限りに (B) に限って (C) に限る (D) を限りに
Q4. 「を限りに」の意味に最も近い表現は？
(A) だけ（限定）
(B) を最後に（以〜為最後）
(C) のために（為了〜）
(D) から（從〜）
Q5. 「___健康診断の結果___、お酒を飲むのをやめることにしました。」（以健康檢查結果為契機，決定戒酒）
(A) この・を限りに (B) この・に限って (C) この・に限る (D) この・によって
答案解析
1. (B) 今日を限りに ── 「今日を限りに（以今天為最後）この会社を去る（離開）」= 終止的截止點 → を限りに。
2. (A) を限りに ── 「この大会を限りに（以這次大賽為最後）引退します（退休）」= 典型的を限りに 用法（以某事件為界，退休）。
3. (C) に限る ── 「暑い日は冷たいものに限る！（炎熱天氣，只有冷食最棒！）」= に限る（表達「只有〜最好」的強調）。
4. (B) を最後に ── 「を限りに」≒「を最後に（以〜為最後）」，意思最近。都表達「到此為止的截止點」。
5. (A) この・を限りに ── 「この健康診断の結果を限りに（以這次健檢結果為最後）お酒をやめる」= を限りに（以某事件為界，終止某行為）。