N3 Actions in Progress or State

~かけ: meaning, usage and examples

~かけ means: in the middle of... / half-done...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. この本ほんは、まだ読よみかけです。

   I haven't finished this book yet. (I'm in the middle of reading it.)

2. 飲のみかけのコーヒーがテーブルに置おいてある。

   There is a half-drunk coffee on the table.

3. 書かきかけの手紙てがみが机つくえの上うえにあります。

   There is a half-written letter on the desk.

4. 木村きむらさんは何なにか言いいかけて、やめました。

   Mr. Kimura started to say something, then stopped.

When to use it

Shows an action that was started but not finished: "half-done," "partly," "in the middle of." Use it for things left in the middle, like a half-eaten meal (食たべかけ), a half-read book (読よみかけ), or unfinished homework (やりかけ). As a verb, かける means "to start to": 言いいかけてやめた.

Nuance

Neutral and common in daily speech. かけの + noun is very frequent: 書かきかけの手紙てがみ, 飲のみかけのジュース. With verbs of change like 忘わすれる, かける means "almost" or "begin to": 忘わすれかけていた. It focuses on the unfinished state.

Compare

Compare かけ with ている: 本ほんを読よんでいる means you are reading right now, while 読よみかけの本ほん is a book you started and put down. Compare 途中とちゅう, which marks the middle of a trip or process (帰かえる途中とちゅう). Compare たて: 焼やきたて means just finished, the opposite end of the action.

Tip: Picture a sandwich with one bite gone: 食たべかけ. Started, then stopped. That picture covers most uses of かけ.