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JAPANESE VERB

きる

切る

to turn off, to switch off

  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI turn off
NegativeI don’t turn off

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI turned off
NegativeI didn’t turn off

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formturning off, and…
Doing now (て います)I am turning off
Please (て ください)please turn off

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can turn off
NegativeI can’t turn off

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to turn off
NegativeI don’t want to turn off

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s turn off

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I turn off
  2. If, when (たら) if I turn off

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) turn off (do it)
  2. Plain command turn off!
  3. Please don’t please don’t turn off

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am turned off
CausativeI make someone turn off

How to use きる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    ねる まえ に、 いつも でんき を きります。

    I always turn the lights off before bed.

  2. Past

    えいがかん で けいたい の でんげん を きった。

    I switched my phone off at the cinema.

  3. Te-form

    でかける とき は エアコン を きって ください。

    Please turn the air conditioning off when you go out.

  4. Potential

    この リモコン で テレビ が きれます か？

    Can you turn the TV off with this remote?

  5. Want to

    うるさい から、 ラジオ を きりたい。

    It's noisy, so I want to turn the radio off.

  6. Volitional

    でんきだい が たかい から、 こまめ に でんき を きろう。

    The electricity bill is high, so let's switch the lights off whenever we can.

  7. Conditional

    パソコン を きれば、 しずか に なります よ。

    If you shut the computer down, it goes quiet.

  8. Commands and requests

    もう おそい から、 ゲーム を きりなさい。

    It's late, turn the game off.

  9. Passive and causative

    とちゅう で でんげん を きられて、 データ が きえた。

    Someone cut the power half-way, and the data vanished.

Good to know

  • きる, to switch off, is godan: きります, きって. The ichidan きる, to wear, is きます, きて.
  • Phones and computers: でんげん を きる, to cut the power. The opposite is つける or いれる.

Where you hear きる

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Intermediate Level 2

  • よる は いつも けいたい を きる。 I always switch my phone off at night.
  • えいが の まえ に けいたい を きった。 I turned my phone off before the film.
  • あした も けいたい を きる。 I'll switch my phone off tomorrow too.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).