Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
きり limits a quantity or marks a final occurrence, while っぱなし describes an action or state that continues without stopping or is left in some ongoing condition. The core test is whether you are counting items or sealing off an event versus describing something that keeps going: これっきり means this is the last time, whereas 鳴りっぱなし means the phone keeps ringing. Swapping them is unnatural because きり does not convey continuous action and っぱなし does not express a strict numerical limit.
- （っ）きり Use きり when you want to say only this much or this is the last time.
- っぱなし Use っぱなし when an action keeps going or something is left in an ongoing state.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| （っ）きり kiri | Only; just; since (and not since) | N2 |
| っぱなし ppanashi | Left as is | N3 |
（っ）きり kiri
Only; just; since (and not since)
Since; only | A conjunction indicating that since something occurred, nothing has happened and the resultant situation remains unchanged; a particle indicating a strict limitation in terms of number/quantity.
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それっきりなの？もっとたくさんちょうだい。
Only this much? Give me more, please.
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もう会うのはこれっきりにしましょう。
Let's make this the last time we see each other.
っぱなし ppanashi
Left as is
Keep -ing; have been -ing; leave | An auxiliary which expresses the idea that someone or something keeps doing something, or someone leaves something in an improper state.
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ブラジルのバレーボール・チームは今日まで勝ちっぱなしだ。
Brazil's volleyball team hasn't lost a game up to now. (literally: Brazil's volleyball team has been winning up to today.)
-
今日は朝から電話が鳴りっぱなしだ。
The telephone has been ringing since this morning.
（っ）きり and っぱなし are JLPT N3–N2 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.