This means 'only' or 'just'. It shows there is not much of something. It can also mean there is nothing else.
Noun + っきりPrimary
Counter + っきりPrimary
Verb [た-form] + っきりPrimary
Pronoun (これ, それ, あれ) + っきり
This means 'only' or 'just'. It shows there is not much of something. It can also mean there is nothing else.
二人っきりで話したいことがあるんです。
There's something I want to talk about with just the two of us.
彼は去年外国へ行ったっきり、一度も連絡がない。
Since he went abroad last year, there has been no contact from him at all.
母は朝早くに出かけたっきり、まだ帰ってこない。
My mother went out early this morning and hasn't come back yet.
昔、一度会ったっきりで、顔もよく覚えていません。
I met them only once a long time ago, so I don't even remember their face well.
これで話は終わりっきりにして、二度とこの話題は出さないでください。
Let's make this the absolute end of this conversation, and please don't bring this topic up again.
This is different from "だけ" (dake). "だけ" means only. "っきり" also means only. But "っきり" sounds more personal. It feels stronger. "二人っきり" means just the two of us. It feels closer than "二人だけ". This is also different from "しか〜ない" (shika...nai). "しか〜ない" needs a negative word. "っきり" does not. "Vた + っきり" is not like "〜っぱなし" (ppanashi). "っきり" means something you thought would happen did not. "っぱなし" means something was left unfinished.
Don't use this when something good happened. For example, you cannot say "I went to the store and bought many things." This grammar shows something did not happen.
Use this when you want to say "only" in a casual way. It is like saying "just" or "nothing but." People use it when they talk or write informal messages. For formal writing, use other words like "dake" or "nomi" instead.
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