At a glance
～かけ means an action was started but is not finished. It usually describes something left half-done, like food or a book.
Verb stem + かけ の + Noun
Verb stem + かける
テーブルの上に食べかけのりんごがあります。 There's a half-eaten apple on the table.
How to form it
Take the ます-form and remove ます to get the stem, then add かけ.
| Verb group | Dictionary form | Stem | + かけ |
|---|---|---|---|
| う-verb | 読む | 読み | 読みかけ |
| う-verb | 書く | 書き | 書きかけ |
| る-verb | 食べる | 食べ | 食べかけ |
It can be used in three ways:
| Use | Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before a noun | stem + かけの + noun | 読みかけの本 | a half-read book |
| As a predicate | stem + かけだ / かけです | 宿題はやりかけです。 | The homework is half-done. |
| As a verb | stem + かける | 言いかけた | started to say |
As a verb, かける conjugates like a る-verb: かけた, かけて, かけている. The pattern is neutral, so it fits both polite and casual speech.