Japanese grammar

What does ～限りだ mean? Japanese grammar N1

～限りだ means feel extremely…; nothing could be more….

Quick facts
Level (estimated, JLPT framework)	N1
Structure	い形 + 限りだな形な + 限りだ
Romaji	kagirida
Meaning	feel extremely…; nothing could be more…

Forming it

i-adjective (happy)	うれしい + 限りだ
na-adjective (regrettable)	残念な + 限りだ

How to use it

Expresses the SPEAKER's own emotion at its highest degree. Only used with emotion adjectives.

「～限りだ」 = truly extremely A, expressing the SPEAKER's own intense emotion: 「うれしい限りだ」 (couldn't be happier), 「羨ましい限りだ」 (so envious).
Only used with EMOTION adjectives (うれしい happy, 残念 regrettable, 羨ましい envious, 心細い anxious/helpless), not with objective qualities.
Different from 「～極まりない」 (evaluating a quality, usually negative): 「限りだ」 is subjective emotion.

Examples

息子(むすこ)の合格(ごうかく)を聞(き)き、うれしい限(かぎ)りだ。
Hearing that my son passed, I couldn’t be happier.
皆(みな)さんとお別(わか)れするのは、寂(さび)しい限(かぎ)りです。
Parting from everyone leaves me terribly sad.

Keep in mind

Only with emotion adjectives.
Expresses the speaker's own feeling.

Common mistakes

Wrongこの道(みち)は危(あぶ)ない限(かぎ)りだ。

This road is extremely dangerous.

Correctこの道(みち)は危険(きけん)極(きわ)まりない。

「限りだ」 is only used with EMOTION adjectives; evaluating a quality uses 「極まりない」.
Wrong彼(かれ)はうれしい限(かぎ)りだ。

I couldn't be happier.

Correct（私(わたし)は）うれしい限(かぎ)りだ。

This is the emotion of the SPEAKER themselves; it's not used for a third person.

Exam tips

「限りだ」 = the SPEAKER's own extreme emotion (emotion adjectives); different from 「極まりない」.

Related patterns

All N1 grammar →