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〜かけ・〜かける

half-done; start to, nearly

Verb ます-stem + かけ (の Noun) / かける

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かけ after a ます-stem describes something started but not finished: 食べかけのパン, "a half-eaten piece of bread"; 読みかけの本, "a half-read book". It works like a noun and takes の before another noun.

As a verb, かける means "start to, be about to": 何か言いかけて、やめた, "he started to say something, then stopped". The action gets interrupted.

With verbs of change, かける means "nearly": 死にかけた, "nearly died"; 忘れかけていた, "had almost forgotten".

Compare 始める, a plain "start". かける implies the action didn't get far, or was cut off.

Examples

  • テーブルの上うえに食たべかけのパンがある。

    There's a half-eaten piece of bread on the table.

  • 読よみかけの本ほんがたくさんある。

    I have lots of half-read books.

  • 何なにか言いいかけて、彼かれはやめた。

    He started to say something, then stopped.

  • 手紙てがみを書かきかけたとき、電話でんわが鳴なった。

    Just as I'd started writing the letter, the phone rang.

  • 事故じこで死しにかけたことがある。

    I once nearly died in an accident.

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