JLPT N1 Grammar – Difference between “〜限りだ” and “〜限りに”

Table of Contents

1. Difference between “〜限かぎりだ” and “〜限かぎりに”
2. 〜限かぎりだ
3. 〜限かぎりに
4. Summary
5. Quiz
6. Similer Articles
7. Comment

Q: “〜限かぎりに” and “〜限かぎりだ” seem very similar, and I always get confused.

A: “〜限かぎりだ” is used to strongly express emotions or feelings like “I feel this to the highest degree.” On the other hand, “〜限かぎりに” means “to make something the last,” and is used to indicate when something ends.

〜限かぎりだ (JLPT N1)

[Meaning]
To feel something to the highest degree

[Rule]
[A] い adjective + 限かぎりだ
[Na] な adjective な + 限かぎりだ

[Commonly used adjectives]

嬉うれしい (happy)・ありがたい (grateful)・うらやましい (envious)・悲かなしい (sad)・悔くやしい (frustrated)・恥はずかしい (embarrassed)・残念ざんねん (regretful)

[Examples]
彼女かのじょに花はなを送おくったらとても喜よろこんでくれた。嬉うれしい限かぎりだ。
I gave her flowers, and she was so happy. I’m truly delighted.

家族かぞくにも仕事しごとにも恵めぐまれて幸しあわせな限かぎりです。
I’m blessed with both my family and my job—it’s the greatest happiness.

試験しけんに落おちてしまって悔くやしい限かぎりです。
I failed the exam, and I’m extremely frustrated.

人前ひとまえで転ころんでしまい、恥はずかしい限かぎりだ。
I fell down in front of people—it was so embarrassing.

This expression is used to convey the speaker’s strong feelings or situation, with the meaning of “to the greatest extent” or “extremely.”
It can be used for both positive and negative emotions, but the adjectives it combines with are limited, so you need to be careful when using it.

[Examples]
父ちちも母ははももう80才さいなのに、とても元気げんきでありがたい限かぎりです。
Even though both my father and mother are already 80 years old, they are still very healthy—I’m truly grateful.
⇒ I deeply appreciate that my elderly parents are still in good health.

たくさん勉強べんきょうをしたのに試験しけんに受うからなくて悔くやしい限かぎりだ。
I studied so hard, but I didn’t pass the exam—I’m extremely frustrated.
⇒ Despite all my effort, I couldn’t get the result I hoped for, which makes me feel very frustrated.

〜限かぎりに／で (JLPT N1)

[Meaning]
To make something the last (from that point onward, it will no longer continue)

[Rule]
[N] Noun + を限かぎりに

[Examples]
今年ことしいっぱいを限かぎりにA社しゃとの契約けいやくを終了しゅうりょうすることに決きめました。
We have decided to end the contract with Company A at the end of this year.

今回こんかいのオリンピックを限かぎりで、その選手せんしゅは引退いんたいを決きめました。
The athlete decided to retire after this Olympic Games.

今こん年度ねんどを限かぎりに退職たいしょくするつもりです。
I plan to resign at the end of this fiscal year.

3月がつ末日まつじつを限かぎりに、このサービスは終了しゅうりょういたします。
This service will end on March 31.

This expression is used to mean “to stop doing something after a certain point.”
It appears in the form “〜を限かぎりに” or “〜を限かぎりで,” followed by a sentence expressing the result or conclusion.

[Examples]
店長てんちょうは今回こんかいのフェアを限かぎりに退任たいにんすることになりました。
The manager has decided to step down after this fair.
⇒ This means the fair will be the last event before the manager resigns.

先輩せんぱいの吉田よしださんは出産しゅっさんのため、3月がつ31日にち限かぎりで仕事しごとを辞やめるそうです。
Ms. Yoshida, my senior colleague, will leave her job on March 31 due to childbirth.
⇒ This means she will retire after March 31.

セールは1時間じかん限かぎりです！
The sale is limited to just one hour!
⇒ This means the sale will last for only one hour and will not continue beyond that.
*When used with time-related words such as durations or dates, it is often treated as a noun phrase.

Summary

[〜限かぎりだ]

• Used to express strong emotions or situations, such as “to the greatest extent” or “extremely.”
• It can be used with both positive and negative feelings, but the adjectives it combines with are somewhat limited.

[〜限かぎりに／限かぎりで]

• Used to mean that something will end and not continue beyond a certain point.
• It expresses the conclusion or end of something.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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Similer Articles

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