〜かけ

Half-done/about to

Level 3Sounds Like kake

The pattern 〜かけ (or the verb form 〜かける) describes a state where an action has started but is not yet complete, or is just about to occur. It is commonly translated as 'half-done,' 'unfinished,' or 'on the verge of.'

How It Works

The pattern is formed by attaching 〜かけ or 〜かける to the ます-stem of a verb.

1. Unfinished Actions:
With continuative verbs, it indicates that someone started something but stopped before finishing. Common examples include 食べかけ（たべかけ - half-eaten） or 読みかけ（よみかけ - half-read）.

2. Imminent Actions:
With punctual (momentary) verbs, it indicates that a change is just about to start or almost occurred. For example, 溺れかける（おぼれかける - almost drowned） or 死にかける（しにかける - on the verge of death）.

3. Directional vs. Aspectual:
Note that 〜かける can also indicate an action directed toward someone (e.g., 話しかける（はなしかける - to speak to someone） or 問いかける（といかける - to ask a question）). This is distinct from the 'half-done' aspectual meaning.

4. Grammatical Variations:

  • Noun form: [Stem] + かけ (e.g., 飲みかけ - a half-drunk drink).
  • Verb form: [Stem] + かける (e.g., 言いかける - to start to say).
  • Sentence ending: [Stem] + かけだ (e.g., この本は読みかけだ - I'm in the middle of reading this book).
  • Adjectival use: [Stem] + かけの + [Noun] (e.g., 書きかけの手紙（かきかけのてがみ） - a half-written letter).

Examples (4)

  1. テーブルの上に食べかけのケーキがある。

    There is a half-eaten cake on the table.

    Word by Word: Table of top on, half-eat-of cake exists.

    Here, 食べかけ (half-eaten) describes the state of the cake which was started but not finished.

  2. 彼は何かを言いかけて、やめた。

    He started to say something, then stopped.

    Word by Word: He (topic) something (object) start-to-say-and, stopped.

    言いかける shows the action of speaking was just beginning but was interrupted.

  3. その猫は車にひかれかけて、危なかった。

    That cat was almost run over by a car; it was dangerous.

    Word by Word: That cat (topic) car by run-over-be-about-to, was-dangerous.

    With the verb 'to be run over,' this pattern indicates the event was on the verge of happening.

  4. 読みかけの本を机に置いた。

    I put the half-read book on the desk.

    Word by Word: Half-read-of book (object) desk on placed.

    読みかけ indicates the book is currently in an unfinished state.

Common Mistakes

  • Using it with stative verbs like 'to exist'.

    庭に花がありかけている。
    庭に花が咲きかけている。

    You cannot use 〜かけ with verbs like ある (to exist) because they don't have a 'process' that can be half-done. Use a change-of-state verb like 咲く (to bloom) instead.

  • Confusing it with 'freshly done' (〜たて).

    焼きかけのパンはおいしい。
    焼きたてのパンはおいしい。

    焼きかけ means the bread is still raw in the middle (half-baked). If you mean 'freshly baked,' you must use 〜たて.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

〜かけLevel 3Half-done/about to

Learn This First

To understand 〜かけ, you need to know how to extract the verb stem from the ます form. Since this pattern describes an action that is incomplete or just starting, a solid grasp of verb meanings and how they function as noun modifiers in a sentence is necessary.

Words in This Pattern

掛ける