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N3

切れない

きれない

Being unable to finish or complete

あの山やまは一日いちにちでは登のぼり切きれない。

You can't possibly finish climbing this mountain in one day.

Explanation

「〜切れない」 is the potential negative of 「〜切る」 and means 'cannot ... completely', 'cannot finish'. The amount is too big, the content too much, the degree too deep, so you cannot see it through: 「数え切れない」 (countless) 「食べ切れない」 (can't finish eating). In feelings it can mean 'can't let go': 「諦め切れない」 (can't give up completely).

Mixed up with

Common words: 「数え切れない」 (countless, e.g. 「数え切れないほどの思い出」), 「言いきれない」 (can't say for sure), 「信じ切れない」 (can't fully trust).

Different from 「〜きらない」: 「〜切れない」 means the amount is too much to finish; 「〜きらない」 usually means the attitude or action itself is not decisive enough.

Examples

  1. 宇宙うちゅうには数かぞえ切きれないほどの星ほしがある。

    There are countless stars in space.

  2. 宿題しゅくだいが多おおすぎて、一日いちにちではやり切きれない。

    There's so much homework that I can't finish it all in one day.

  3. 空そらの星ほしは数かぞえ切きれない。

    The stars in the sky are too many to count.

Tested 3 times in past papers

N1 · Jul 2022, Q31N1 · Dec 2021, Q34N2 · Dec 2015, Q36