JLPT N1: かぎりだ

If you don't know what 限り (かぎり) means by now, you must not have been keeping up with all of these lessons:

- [NDL #458] - JLPT N2: 限り (so long as)
- [NDL #465] - JLPT N2: 限り (as much as possible)
- [NDL #535] - JLPT N2: ないかぎり

...or maybe the fact that we have so many lessons with 限り is confusing you.

Sorry about that.

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Here's a quick rundown of かぎりだ (note the だ at the end, which can also be です or である):

1) We use かぎりだ at the end of a phrase to say that something is "extremely ADJECTIVE" or "very ADJECTIVE." We'll often translate it as "so ADJECTIVE." It might be more fun to think of it as meaning "ADJECTIVE to the max," though.

2) The word coming directly before かぎりだ will be an i-adjective or a na-adjective (including な after it).

3) Since we're talking about very strong feelings, かぎりだ is pretty much exclusively used in the first person ("I"). So don't use it when talking about other people's feelings.

4) Using the kanji is optional, so we can have either 限りだ or かぎりだ. Our examples use both.

5) Although people do use かぎりだ in spoken Japanese, it is typically reserved for stiff, somewhat formal-sounding language.

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Here's an example with an i-adjective and である instead of だ：

橋本さんはハワイに別荘を持っているそうだ。本当にうらやましいかぎりである。
はしもと　さん　は　ハワイ　に　べっそう　を　もっている　そうだ。　ほんとうに　うらやましい　かぎりである。
I heard that [Apparently,] Hashimoto-san has a vacation home in Hawaii. I’m so jealous.
Literally: “Hashimoto-san + は + Hawaii + に + vacation house + を + is having + そうだ (=[hearsay marker]). + truly / really + jealous + かぎり (=as much as possible) + である (=am).”

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Here's an example with a na-adjective (note that な is included) and です instead of だ：

何か月も前から楽しみにしていた花火大会が中止になって、残念な限りです。
なんかげつ　も　まえ　から　たのしみ　に　していた　はなび　たいかい　が　ちゅうし　に　なって、　ざんねんな　かぎりです。
I’m so disappointed that the fireworks festival was canceled. I'd been looking forward to it for months.
Literally: “for months [how many months] + も + before + since + looking forward to + に + was doing + fireworks festival (=fireworks + mass gathering) + が + cancellation + に + become (and), + disappointed + かぎり (=as much as possible) + です.”

What do you think? Not too complicated, yeah?

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Just two more examples... because we always try to include at least four examples in our NDLs. (Ever noticed that? ^^)

あの病院は日本語が話せるスタッフがたくさんいるので、心強い限りだ。
あの　びょういん　は　にほんご　が　はなせる　スタッフ　が　たくさん　いる　ので、　こころづよい　かぎりだ。
That hospital has a lot of Japanese-speaking staff, which is really reassuring.
Literally: “that + hospital + は + Japanese + が + can speak + staff + が + many + there are + ので (=because), + reassuring + かぎり (=as much as possible) + だ.”
Note: We can imagine that the speaker is living in, say, Bangkok.

子供の頃いつも遊んでいた公園がなくなってしまうのは、寂しい限りだ。
こども　の　ころ　いつも　あそんでいた　こうえん　が　なくなって　しまう　の　は、　さみしい　かぎりだ。
I’m so sad that the park where I always played as a child will be gone.
Literally: “child + の + (approximate) time + always + was playing + park + が + disappear (unfortunately) + のは + lonely + かぎり (=as much as possible) + だ.”
Note: The nuance is that the park will be demolished for some reason... maybe to build a shopping mall or something.

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You're finished!