Lesson 134: 〜合う・〜切る・っぱなし・きり

N3 · Lesson 134 · 18 min — Each other, finish / can't finish, left as is, only / not since: four little add-ons that stick to verbs

Last lesson, officials came to くまや to measure the street, and trouble got closer. Tonight Yanaka's neighborhood association meets to talk about it. In this lesson you learn four small add-ons that stick to a verb (or a quantity): 合あう, 切きる, っぱなし and きり. Stick one on, and the meaning changes. Let's read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use 〜合あう to say "each other": 話はなし合あう, 助たすけ合あう
• Use 〜切きる / 〜切きれない to say "finish it all" and "can't finish it all"
• Use 〜っぱなし to say "left as it is (not tidied up)" and "keep doing ~"
• Use 〜きり / 〜た きり to say "only ~" and "never ~ again since then"

The Night of the Neighborhood Meeting

After officials came to measure the street, Yanaka's neighborhood association held an emergency meeting, and Mr. Kuma came too. (町内会ちょうないかい＝neighborhood association, 店長てんちょう＝shop manager, 師匠ししょう＝master/mentor, 亡なくなる＝pass away, 年賀状ねんがじょう＝New Year card, おはぎ＝ohagi, a sweet rice ball)

合あう＝each other, 切きる＝finish ~, っぱなし＝left as is, きり＝only / never since. Next lesson, the circulation board of the neighborhood association reaches Rin's hands...

Words in this lesson: little add-ons after verbs

• 〜合あう (au): each other ~
• 話はなし合あう (hanashiau): to discuss, to talk it over
• 助たすけ合あう (tasukeau): to help each other
• 知しり合あう (shiriau): to get to know (each other)
• 〜切きる (kiru): finish ~ (nothing left), ~ completely
• 〜切きれない (kirenai): can't finish ~
• 〜っぱなし (ppanashi): left as is; keep ~ing
• つけっぱなし (tsukeppanashi): (light, TV) left on
• 立たちっぱなし (tachippanashi): keep standing
• 〜きり (kiri): only ~
• 〜た きり (ta kiri): never ~ again since ~
• 一日中いちにちじゅう (ichinichijū): all day long
• 亡なくなる (nakunaru): to pass away
• 町内会ちょうないかい (chōnaikai): neighborhood association (a local residents' group)
• おはぎ (ohagi): ohagi (a sticky rice ball covered with sweet red bean paste)

Grammar 1 / 4: Each other ~

Masu-stem＋合あう＝"each other ~": two or more people do the same thing to one another. 話はなし合あう＝you talk, I talk → discuss. 助たすけ合あう＝help each other.

• Masu-stem＋合あう＝each other ~: Stick 合あう onto the masu-stem: 話はなします→話はなし＋合あう. It means two or more people do the same thing to one another.
• The part that changes is 合あう: 合あう conjugates like a godan verb: 話はなし合あいます・話はなし合あって・話はなし合あった・助たすけ合あおう (volitional form). The front part, 話はなし, never changes.
• Who you do it with: use 「と」: くまたと 勉強べんきょうを 教おしえ合あう＝teach each other homework with Kumata. For everyone together, use みんなで: みんなで 話はなし合あう.
• Common set words: 話はなし合あう (discuss), 助たすけ合あう (help each other), 知しり合あう (get to know). Change う to い and you get a noun: 話はなし合あい＝a discussion, 知しり合あい＝an acquaintance.

• 木きの ことを みんなで 話はなし合あいましょう。 — Let's all talk about the tree together.
• 困こまった ときは 助たすけ合あおう。 — When there's trouble, let's help each other.
• くまたと 勉強べんきょうを 教おしえ合あった。 — Kumata and I taught each other our homework.
• 二人ふたりは 京都きょうとで 知しり合あった そうです。 — I heard those two got to know each other in Kyoto.
• 町内会ちょうないかいの 話はなし合あいは 九時くじまで 続つづいた。 — The neighborhood meeting discussion went on until nine.

Grammar 2 / 4: Finish / can't

Masu-stem＋切きる＝"finish ~ (nothing left)" or "~ completely." The potential forms 切きれる / 切きれない＝"can finish ~" / "can't finish ~."

• Masu-stem＋切きる＝finish ~ (nothing left): 食たべ切きる＝eat it all up, 使つかい切きる＝use up, 読よみ切きる＝read to the end. It stresses "all of it, nothing left" more than 食たべ終おわる does.
• 切きれる / 切きれない＝can finish ~ / can't finish ~: Use the potential form of 切きる: こんなに たくさん、食たべ切きれない＝There's so much, I can't eat it all. One more: 数かぞえる＝to count, 数かぞえ切きれない ほど＝so many you can't count them all.
• It can also mean "completely, to the limit": 疲つかれ切きる＝be totally worn out. For a state, 〜切きって いる is common: 疲つかれ切きって いる. 言いい切きる＝to state flatly, to declare.
• 切きる conjugates like a godan verb: 切きって・切きった・切きれない. The te-form is 言いい切きって, not "言いい切きったて." You can't pile the ta-form and te-form together.

• こんなに たくさん、食たべ切きれない。 — There's so much, I can't eat it all.
• 一日いちにちで この 本ほんを 読よみ切きった。 — I read this whole book in one day.
• 一か月いっかげつで お金かねを 使つかい切きって しまった。 — I used up all my money in one month.
• 店長てんちょうは 疲つかれ切きって いる。 — The shop manager is worn out.
• 言いいたい ことを 全部ぜんぶ 言いい切きって、座すわった。 — He said everything he wanted to say, and sat down.

Grammar 3 / 4: Left as is

Masu-stem＋っぱなし has two meanings: ① you did something and then just left it as it is (should have turned it off, should have put it away) ② keep ~ing without a break.

• ① masu-stem＋っぱなし＝done, then left as it is: つける→つけっぱなし (left on), 開あける→開あけっぱなし, 出だす→出だしっぱなし (water left running). It often carries the complaint "you should have tidied up."
• Three common patterns: 〜っぱなしだ (a state): 窓まどが 開あけっぱなしだ. 〜っぱなしで＋verb: つけっぱなしで 寝ねた. 〜っぱなしに する: 出だしっぱなしに しないで ください. In speech, "〜が〜っぱなしだ" describes what you see right now (水みずが 出だしっぱなしだ). For an action that you or someone did, use "〜を〜っぱなしに する."
• ② It can also mean "keep ~ing": 立たちっぱなし＝keep standing, 座すわりっぱなし＝keep sitting: 一日中いちにちじゅう 立たちっぱなしで、足あしが 痛いたい. In the comic, the manager says the shop has been "開あけっぱなし for forty years." That is an exaggerated joke. The shop hasn't literally been open nonstop.
• Compare with まま and 〜て おく: まま just means "keep it as it is," and it's neutral: 窓まどを 開あけた まま＝with the window open. っぱなし sounds more casual and often means "left without care." To politely ask someone to keep something open on purpose, 開あけて おいて ください or 開あけた ままに して ください is better.

• テレビを つけっぱなしで 寝ねて しまった。 — I fell asleep with the TV left on.
• 窓まどを 開あけっぱなしに しないで ください。 — Please don't leave the window open.
• 水みずが 出だしっぱなしだよ。 — The water is still running, you know!
• 一日中いちにちじゅう 立たちっぱなしで、足あしが 痛いたい。 — I stood all day, and my feet hurt.
• この 店みせは 四十年よんじゅうねん、開あけっぱなしだ。 — This shop has been open for forty years without closing. (an exaggerated joke)

Grammar 4 / 4: Only / not since

Ta-form＋きり (usually followed by a negative)＝"after ~, never ~ again." Quantity / noun＋きり＝"only ~ (and that's all)."

• Ta-form＋きり＝never ~ again since ~: 師匠ししょうが 亡なくなった きり、はなさんとは 会あって いない＝I haven't seen Hana since my master passed away. That event became "the last time," and things stopped after it. That is why a negative usually follows.
• Quantity / noun＋きり＝only ~: 二人ふたりきり＝just the two of us, 一回いっかいきり＝only once. It is like だけ, but adds the feeling of "just this much, and nothing after."
• 〜きりだ at the end of a sentence: 年賀状ねんがじょうは あの 一枚いちまいきりだ＝There's only that one New Year card. In speech, you often hear っきり: 二人ふたりっきり.
• Cousin of 切きる: きり comes from 切きる (to cut off): after that moment, things were "cut off." So ta-form＋きり is usually followed by "never ~ again."

• 師匠ししょうが 亡なくなった きり、はなさんとは 会あって いない。 — I haven't seen Hana since my master passed away.
• 朝あさ コーヒーを 飲のんだ きり、何なにも 食たべて いない。 — I had coffee this morning and haven't eaten anything since.
• 二人ふたりきりで 話はなしたい ことが ある。 — There's something I want to talk about, just the two of us.
• チャンスは 一回いっかいきりだ。 — The chance comes only once.
• 兄あには 東京とうきょうへ 行いった きり、帰かえって こない。 — My older brother went to Tokyo and never came back.