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What is best when you feel a cold coming on? Look at the picture: the speaker recommends going to bed early.

Lesson notes · ≈ JLPT N2 · Intermediate 2

〜に限る~ni kagiru

nothing beats

Use 「〜に限る」 after a verb or noun to recommend what you personally think is the best choice.

How it works

What is best when you feel a cold coming on? Look at the picture: the speaker recommends going to bed early.
「に限る」expresses what the speaker personally considers the best choice, with a sense of “nothing beats this.”
Attach 「に限る」directly to a verb’s dictionary form: 早く寝るに限る. This presents an action as the best solution.
Not doing something can also be the best solution. On a typhoon day: 外に出ないに限る. Use the verb’s ない-form.
「に限る」can also follow a noun directly: 寒い日は、お風呂に限る. It recommends a particular thing.

What would you recommend for cold hands and feet? 温かいお風呂に入るに限る. Use this pattern to give advice.

Use 「に限ります」to make a polite recommendation. It still means that something is the best choice.

Here, 「限る」means “the best,” not “limited to.” Do not mistake the recommendation for a restriction.

風邪かぜkazeをoひきhikiそうなときsounatokiは、わ、wa、早くはやくhayaku寝るねるneruにni限りますかぎりますkagirimasu
When you feel like you are catching a cold, the best thing to do is go to bed early.
台風たいふうtaifuuのno日ひhiは、わ、wa、外そとsotoにni出ないでないdenaiにni限ります。かぎります。kagirimasu。
On typhoon days, the best thing is not to go outside.

A
急激に冷えきゅうげきにひえ込んこんで手足てあしが冷えるひえるときは、わ、どうしていますか。
A: What do you do when it suddenly gets cold and your hands and feet are freezing?
B
そういう日ひは、わ、服装ふくそうを調整ちょうせいして温かいあたたかいお風呂おふろに入るはいるに限りますかぎりますよ。
B: On those days, the best thing is to adjust your clothing and take a warm bath.
A
そうですね。私わたしも今夜こんやはわ無理むりを避けさけて早くはやく寝るねるに限るかぎると思っおもっています。

Level 1 · Recognise
Which sentence is correct?
Level 1 · Recognise
Listen and choose the meaning
Level 2 · Build
Put the words in order
When you are not yet used to the heat, the best thing is to avoid overexerting yourself and stay in a cool room.
Level 3 · Use
What goes in the blank?
風邪をひきそうなときは、早く寝る____。
When you feel like you're catching a cold, the best thing is to go to bed early.

A: That's true. I also think the best thing to do tonight is to avoid overexerting myself and go to bed early.