JLPT N2・N3・N4文法 – Difference between “〜きる”, “〜ぬく” and “〜終わる”

Table of Contents

1. Difference between “〜きる”, “〜ぬく” and “〜終おわる”
2. ～きる・～ぬく
3. 〜終おわる
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Similar Articles
7. Comment

Q: What’s the difference between “〜きる,” “〜ぬく,” and “〜終おわる”?

A: All three mean “to do something until the end,” but there are nuances:
“〜きる” means to complete something fully,
“〜ぬく” means to persevere and carry through despite difficulties,
and “〜終おわる” means the completion of an action.

～きる・～ぬく

Both of these patterns express the idea of “carrying something through to the end.”
While they share a sense of completion, they differ in usage and emotional nuance.
A detailed explanation can be found in the article below:

[～きる]

[Meaning]
To do something completely / to finish to the end

[Rule]
[V] Verb stem + きる

[Examples]
こんな大おおきいピザ、一人ひとりで食たべきれるかな。
I wonder if I can finish such a big pizza by myself.

おもしろい小説しょうせつだったので、一日いちにちで読よみきってしまいました。
The novel was so interesting that I finished reading it in just one day.

この店みせには数かぞえきれない種類しゅるいのお菓子かしがあります。
This shop has countless kinds of sweets.

[～ぬく]

[Meaning]
To do something to the end, accompanied by difficulty or effort

[Rule]
[V] Verb stem + ぬく

[Examples]
この問題もんだいを解決かいけつするために、チーム全員ぜんいんで考かんがえぬきました。
The whole team thought hard to solve this problem.

彼かれらは何百なんびゃく年ねんも続つづく伝統でんとうを守まもりぬいています。
They have preserved a tradition that has lasted for hundreds of years.

苦くるしい試合しあいを最後さいごまで戦たたかい、ついに勝かちぬきました。
They fought through a tough match to the very end and finally achieved victory.

〜終おわる (JLPT N4)

[Meaning]
Indicates the end or completion of an action

[Rule]
[V] Verb stem + 終おわる

[Examples]
この小説しょうせつは昨日きのう読よみ終おわりました。
I finished reading this novel yesterday.

映画えいがを見み終おわったとき、涙なみだが出でてきました。

When I finished watching the movie, tears came to my eyes.

授業じゅぎょうの直前ちょくぜんに宿題しゅくだいをやり終おわりました。
I finished my homework right before class.

“〜終おわる” expresses the completion of a continuous action that has a beginning and an end, focusing on the endpoint of that action.
It is mainly used with verbs that indicate actions or movements, though the range of verbs it can combine with is somewhat limited.

[Commonly used verbs]
読よむ (to read), 話はなす (to speak), 使つかう (to use), 書かく (to write), 作つくる (to make), 食たべる (to eat), 見みる (to watch/see), やる (to do), 乗のる (to get on) etc

[Examples]
社長しゃちょうが話はなし終おわるまで、社員しゃいんは静しずかに聞きいていました。
　
The employees listened quietly until the president finished speaking.
⇒ The focus is on the completion of the action “to speak.”

書かき終おわったら、書類しょるいをここに提出ていしゅつしてください。

When you finish writing, please submit the document here.

食たべ終おわったら、食器しょっきはこちらへ返却へんきゃくしてください。
When you finish eating, please return your dishes here.

◆ “〜終おわる” is naturally used with continuous verbs and generally does not combine with instantaneous verbs.
Therefore, even when expressing completion, the following types of expressions sound unnatural.

[Examples of instantaneous verbs]
咲さく (to bloom), 散ちる (to fall), 住すむ (to live), 立たつ (to stand), 座すわる (to sit), 生いきる (to live), 下おりる (to get off) etc

[Examples]
× 桜さくらが咲さき終おわりました。

〇 桜さくらが散ちりました。
The cherry blossoms have fallen.

× 2000年ねんに日本にほんに住すみ終おわりました。

〇 2000年ねんまで日本にほんに住すんでいました。
I lived in Japan until 2000.

Let’s Compare

“〜きる” means “to do something completely” or “to finish to the end,” emphasizing that the action has been fully completed.
However, it is not used for simple actions — it is typically used when something involves a large amount, great degree, or considerable effort to complete.

“〜ぬく” means “to persevere and carry something through to the end without giving up,” often implying difficulty or the need for endurance.

“〜終おわる” expresses the completion of a continuous action that has a beginning and an end.
It focuses on the endpoint of the action and indicates the factual completion of the act rather than the sense of perseverance or achievement.
Therefore, it does not include nuances of “effort,” “difficulty,” or “quantity,” and is used to objectively state that an action has come to an end.

Now, let’s compare the following sentences:

[Examples]
① ケーキを食たべきりました。
② ケーキを食たべぬきました。
③ ケーキを食たべ終おわりました。

③ “食たべ終おわる” indicates that the action of eating the cake has finished — it simply expresses the completion of the act.


① “食たべきる” is somewhat similar to “〜終おわる,” but it carries the nuance of having finished something large in amount or difficult to complete.
In other words, when the speaker feels that the cake was too big or too much but still managed to finish it, “食たべきりました” sounds natural.
On the other hand, if you simply want to say that the act of eating has ended, it is more natural to use “食たべ終おわりました,” which focuses on the end point of the action.

② “食たべぬく” sounds unnatural here, even if the action was completed under difficult circumstances.
This is because “〜ぬく” is only used with certain verbs.
For more details, please check the following article.

Let’s look at one more example.

[Examples]
① レポートを書かききりました。
② レポートを書かきぬきました。
③ レポートを書かき終おわりました。

③ “書かき終おわる” indicates that the act of writing the report has been completed.
It simply focuses on the fact that the writing started and finished, expressing completion in a neutral, objective way.

① “書かききる” is similar to “〜終おわる,” but it carries the nuance of having accomplished something that took time or involved a large amount of work.
In other words, it implies a sense of achievement, such as completing a long or difficult report through effort.

② “書かきぬく” conveys the strong determination typical of “〜ぬく” — enduring hardship or difficulty and seeing something through to the end without giving up.
For example, it fits a situation where someone, under deadline pressure, stayed up late and kept writing until the very end without giving in.

Summary

[〜きる]

• “〜きる” means “to do something completely” or “to finish to the end,” emphasizing that the action has been fully completed.
• It is not usually used for simple actions, but rather when something large in amount, time, or effort has been accomplished.

[〜ぬく]

• Means “to persevere and carry through to the end without giving up,” even when something is difficult or requires patience.
• It conveys a sense of effort and mental strength, and is commonly used with certain verbs.

[〜終おわる]

• Indicates the completion of a continuous action or process that has a beginning and an end, focusing on the point of completion.
• It combines naturally with continuous verbs, but is generally not used with instantaneous verbs (except for “乗のる” [to get on]).

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