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Grammar detail: verb stem + 切れない(きれない)

verb stem + 切れない(きれない)
unable to finish something
114 words
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verb stem
+
きれない
expresses the idea of being unable to complete or finish something, typically because it is too much, or there is too much of it etc.
すごい
りょう
量
で
ひとり
一人
では
た
食
べきれない
!
There's so much there's no way I can eat it all by myself!
きれない is the negative potential form of
き
切
る, which is most commonly used to mean 'cut', but actually has many meanings, often related to cutting (through) something in a broader sense. One of the less common meanings is to finish or complete something, so きれない literally means 'cannot finish'.
In this construction する becomes しきれない, which is almost a set phrase meaning 'impossible to do', so it is not uncommon to see しきれない following a verb stem (instead of just きれない):
かれ
彼
は
じぶん
自分
の
かぞく
家族
すら
と
取
り
しきれないのに、まして
いちこく
一国
を
おさ
治
める
なんて!
He can't run his own family, let alone a nation!
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Words used in this grammar

き る 1
suffix, 'ru' godan verb, transitive verb
1. to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery)
2. to sever (connections, ties)  (see also: 縁を切る)
(click the word to view an additional 21 meanings, useful expressions, examples and links)

Kanji used in this grammar

切
セツ   サイ   きる to cut   きれる to break, to snap   
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量
リョウ   はかる to measure   
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一
イチ   イツ   ひとつ    ひと- one   
人
ジン   ニン   ひと person   
食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
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彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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自
ジ   シ   みずから self   
分
ブン   ブ   フン   わける to divide, to distinguish   わかる to understand   わかれる to be divided   わかつ to share, distribute   
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家
カ   ケ   house   いえ    や    
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族
ゾク    tribe   
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取
シュ   とる to take   
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国
コク   くに country   
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治
ジ   チ   おさめる to govern   おさまる to be at peace   なおる to get better   なおす to cure   
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