〜に限って
Of all times 〜に限って
Meaning
"Of all times / of all people ~"; also "~ alone would never".
Formation
[noun] + に限って
Notes
Two moods. With a complaint it marks misfortune landing on exactly the worst occasion — 急いでいる時に限って. With a person it voices confidence: うちの子に限ってそんなことはしない.
Examples
急（いそ）いでいる時（とき）に限（かぎ）って、電車（でんしゃ）が遅（おく）れます。
The train is late precisely when I am in a hurry.
Breakdown
傘（かさ）を持（も）っていない時（とき）に限（かぎ）って、雨（あめ）が降（ふ）ります。
It rains exactly when I have not brought an umbrella.
Breakdown
うちの子（こ）に限（かぎ）って、うそはつきません。
My child of all children would never tell a lie.
Breakdown
私（わたし）が休（やす）んだ時（とき）に限（かぎ）って、面白（おもしろ）い話（はなし）があったそうです。
Apparently something interesting happened exactly on the day I was off.
Breakdown
大事（だいじ）な試験（しけん）がある時（とき）に限（かぎ）って、寝坊（ねぼう）してしまいます。
I oversleep exactly when I have an important exam.
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜しか〜ない
Only 〜しか〜ない
"Only ~" — expresses limitation, with a nuance of "nothing but / not enough". MUST be used...
〜だけ
Only / just だけ
"Only / just ~" — neutral limitation. Unlike しか, だけ goes with an AFFIRMATIVE verb and...
[数量]＋も / [数量]＋しか〜ない
Quantity + も / しか
Colours a quantity as large (も, "as many as") or small (しか〜ない, "only").
〜てばかりいる
Do nothing but 〜てばかりいる
Criticises a repeated action — "does nothing but ~", "is always ~ing".
〜だらけ
Covered in 〜だらけ
"Covered in ~", "full of ~" — an unpleasant abundance.
〜きり
Ever since / only 〜きり
Two uses: "and that was the last of it" after a past verb, and "just / only" after a noun.
〜なんて
Something like (belittling) 〜なんて
Dismisses or belittles — "something like ~", "the very idea of ~". Can also express surpri...
〜限り（は）
As long as 〜限り（は）
"As long as ~", "as far as ~" — the condition under which the statement holds.
〜ない限り
Unless / so long as not 〜ない限り
"Unless ~", "so long as ~ does not happen".
〜に限らず
Not limited to 〜に限らず
"Not just ~", "not limited to ~".
〜に限る
Nothing beats 〜に限る
"Nothing beats ~", "~ is the best thing".
〜をもって
As of (formal) 〜をもって
"As of ~", "with ~", "by means of ~" — a formal boundary or instrument.
〜に至るまで
Extending even to 〜に至るまで
"Extending all the way to ~", "down to even ~" — the range reaches an extreme.