「〜たらきりがない」and「〜ばきりがない」- Endless Situations

Explanation

「〜たらきりがない」 and 「〜ばきりがない」 are Japanese sentence patterns used to express situations where something, once started, seems endless or where similar things keep happening. These patterns are used to describe situations that feel limitless or never-ending.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb past form + きりがない	Verb past form + きりがない	Indicates that once a certain action or state begins, it continues endlessly.
Verb conditional form + きりがない	Verb conditional form + きりがない	Indicates that once a certain action or state begins, it continues endlessly.

Basic Usage

These patterns are used to describe actions or states that, once started, seem to have no end. They can be applied to various scenarios, such as endless complaints, never-ending memories, or an endless stream of problems.

Examples

• 失敗しっぱいを言いえばきりがないので、もっと現実げんじつ的考かんがえよう。
• Shippai o ieba kiri ga nai node, motto genjitsuteki kangaeyou.
• If I start talking about failures, it will never end, so let's think more realistically.
  

• 彼かれの文句もんくを聞きいたらきりがない。
• Kare no monku o kiitara kiri ga nai.
• If I start listening to his complaints, it will never end.
  

Deep Dive

Basic Concept

These patterns are commonly used in Japanese to describe actions or situations that feel endless. They can be used in various contexts, including daily conversations, written expressions, and formal speeches.

Complex Applications

In more complex applications, these patterns can express a sense of helplessness or an endless feeling. For example:

• 問題もんだいを考かんがえればきりがないから、少すこし休やすむことにした。
• Mondai o kangaereba kiri ga nai kara, sukoshi yasumu koto ni shita.
• If I start thinking about the problems, it will never end, so I decided to take a short break.
  

In these examples, whether it's listening to complaints or thinking about problems, the situation feels endless and hard to stop.

Comparison and Differences

Similarities between「〜たらきりがない」and「〜ばきりがない」

These two patterns are very similar in meaning, both indicating that once a certain action or state begins, it continues endlessly. Therefore, they can often be used interchangeably.

Differences between「〜たらきりがない」and「〜ばきりがない」

Although these patterns are very similar, there are subtle differences in their usage:

• 「〜たらきりがない」 is more commonly used to describe hypothetical situations, such as "If I start doing something, it will never end."
• 「〜ばきりがない」 tends to express a condition, such as "If something happens, it will never end."

Real-Life Scenarios

Here are some examples of how these patterns are used in everyday conversations:

• A: 最近さいきんのニュースを見みた？
• B: うん。でも、ニュースを見みたらきりがないから、もうやめた。
• A: Saikin no nyuusu o mita?
• B: Un. Demo, nyuusu o mitara kiri ga nai kara, mou yameta.
• Did you watch the news recently?
• Yes, but once I start watching the news, it never ends, so I stopped.
  

• A: どうしてそんなに心配しんぱいしてるの？
• B: 問題もんだいを考かんがえればきりがないから、少すこし休やすむことにした。
• A: Doushite sonna ni shinpai shiteru no?
• B: Mondai o kangaereba kiri ga nai kara, sukoshi yasumu koto ni shita.
• Why are you so worried?
• Because if I start thinking about the problems, it will never end, so I decided to take a short break.
  

Summary

The patterns 「〜たらきりがない」 and 「〜ばきりがない」 are commonly used in Japanese to vividly describe endless actions or states. When using them, pay attention to the specific context and subtle differences to express emotions and situations more accurately.