← Grammar bank

Formation: V-dictionary / V-ている / V-ない + 限り; い-adj + 限り; N / な-adj + である限り; N + の限り (力の限り); できる限り, 可能な限り; N(time) + 限り (今日限り)

〜限り has three main uses. First, as long as X stays true, Y holds: 私が社長である限り. Second, as ない限り it means 'unless', and the main clause usually states something negative or unlikely. Third, it means 'to the limit of', as in できる限り, 可能な限り and 力の限り (with all one's strength); after a time word such as 今日限り it marks the last day. It is somewhat formal and common in both writing and speech. ない限り is close to 〜ないことには, but ないことには stresses that X is needed before anything can happen and almost always ends in a negative, while ない限り sets a lasting condition. Don't mix it up with 〜限りでは, which limits the range of one's knowledge (私の知る限りでは), or with 〜以上 and 〜からには, which start from a fact already decided rather than an ongoing condition.

Variants: ない限り、できる限り、可能な限り、の限り、である限り

Examples

• 私が社長である限り、この方針は変えない。
  As long as I'm president, this policy won't change.
• 本人が反省しない限り、同じ失敗は繰り返されるだろう。
  Unless he reflects on it himself, the same mistake will probably happen again.
• 力の限り戦ったので、悔いはない。
  I fought with everything I had, so I have no regrets.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

No post has used this pattern yet. Examples from real texts will appear here.