きり

きり has two main uses. First, it marks limitation or exclusivity, meaning “only/just,” and is attached to a noun to show that the thing mentioned is the sole or exclusive item. For example, この部屋には私を含めて三人きりだ means “There are only three people in this room, including me.” Second, it indicates a point after which something changed or stopped, meaning “since” or “ever since.” It attaches to the past plain form of a verb (Verb-た + きり) to express that after that action there has been no change or continuation up to now. It can also appear after a clause with a noun to convey the sense of “since that time.” In both uses, きり carries a nuance of limitation or a lingering state after a single event or condition.