一回(いっかい)きり

一回(いっかい)きり emphasizes that something happens only once and will not be repeated. It conveys finality and often a sense of preciousness.

Common patterns

• As adverb: 一回(いっかい)きりしか行(い)ったことがない (I've only been once)
• As noun modifier: 一回(いっかい)きりの出会(であ)い (a once-in-a-lifetime encounter)
• As predicate: 人生(じんせい)は一回(いっかい)きりだ (you only live once)

Forms

きり means 'only' or 'limited to,' emphasizing a boundary. It attaches to quantities: 一人(ひとり)きり (all alone), 一度(いちど)きり (only once).

Similar words

• 一度(いちど)きり: only once (same meaning, slightly more formal)
• たった一回(いっかい): just one time (emphasizes smallness of the number)
• 一回(いっかい)だけ: only once (neutral, less emphatic)