You use this when you just found out about something that happened. It can also tell old stories or things you heard.
Verb [stem] + けりPrimary
い-Adjective [stem] + かり + けり
You use this when you just found out about something that happened. It can also tell old stories or things you heard.
昔、男ありけり。
Long, long ago, there was a man.
庭の梅、いつの間にやら咲きにけり。
The plum blossoms in the garden... I see they've bloomed without me even noticing.
その山には、人の住む家は一軒もなかりけり。
On that mountain, there was not a single house where people lived.
これは、かの有名な絵師が描きける絵であると伝わる。
It is said that this is a painting that was painted by that famous artist.
鏡を見れば、我が髪も白くなりけり。
When I look in the mirror, I realize my hair, too, has turned white.
This word shows you just found out something happened. It is like saying, 'Oh, so that is how it was.' It is often used when someone has a new thought about the past.
This is different from other past tense words. '〜き' is for things you saw yourself. '〜けり' is for things you just learned or heard about. It feels further away than '〜き'. It is also not like '〜つ' or '〜ぬ'. Those words show an action is finished. '〜けり' shows you found out about something in the past.
Don't use this when you talk every day. It sounds very old-fashioned. For example, don't say "昨日、映画を見たけり" (I watched a movie yesterday) to a friend.
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