きりOnly, Just, Since

きり and しか～ない can both express the idea of 'only,' but in different ways. きり is used primarily with number+counter expressions, like 一度きり 'only one time' or 二人きり 'only/just the two of us'. In contrast, しか～ない is used with a noun and negative verb to mean 'only' or 'nothing but', e.g. １００円しかない ('I have only 100 yen.'). In some cases, the two can be used together, e.g. 一度きりしか行っていない ('I only went just the once.').

Both を限りに and きり mark a point after which something stops or changes, but they differ in formality and nuance. を限りに is a fixed, formal expression used mainly in written or public contexts to indicate a clear and definitive final point, often for events, careers, or official actions, as in 本日を限りに閉店します (‘As of today, we will close for good.’). In contrast, きり is more casual and flexible, commonly used in everyday speech to say that something has not happened again since a certain point, and often used with number + counter expressions such as 一度きりしか会っていない ('I haven't met him except that one time.')

だけ means 'only' or 'just,' while きり has a more specific nuance. After a past tense verb, きり suggests a permanent change after an event. For example, 日本に行ったきり、戻ってこなかった means 'Once (he) went to Japan, he never returned.' When used after a number + counter (e.g. 一人きり), it emphasizes 'nothing more, nothing less.'

たなり・なり and きり are very similar in meaning, both expressing that a certain state persists without the expected result occurring, and are often interchangeable. For example, in '東京に行ったきり地元に帰って来なかった' ('Once he went to Tokyo, he never came back to his hometown') and '東京に行ったなり地元に帰って来なかった' both convey the same lingering, unresolved situation.

きり and だけしか both express limitation, but with different nuance. きり often implies that something has happened only once or hasn't changed since, e.g. 去年会ったきり一度も連絡が来ない 'I haven't heard from them even once since we met last year.' だけしか means 'Nothing but', typically in a way that emphasizes lack or even disappointment, e.g. 千円だけしか持っていない 'I only have 1000 yen.'

きり often marks an action done once and left that way, as in 去年会ったきり連絡がない ('I haven't heard from them since we met last year'). まま(に) marks an ongoing unchanged state, as in 靴を履いたまま入らないで ('Don't enter with your shoes on'). Both can imply continuation, but きり emphasizes a cutoff point.