TAKOBOTO

1. started, but not finished; 2. nearly occurred (but didn't)
1. the half-drunk thing in the fridge; 2. nearly hit by a car

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ケーキをたべかけたときに、でんわがかかってきた。

Just as I was about to eat the cake, the phone rang.

さくぶんはきょうちゅうにかかなければならないのにまだかきかけだ。

the essay has to be finished by today, but I am still in the middle of writing it.

よみかけた。

Iam in the process of reading it.

かんぜんにわすれている。よんだ（いや、よみかけた）ことは、たしかなのに。

I've totally forgotten (them). Even though it's certain that I've read (no, well, started to read,) them.

れいぞうこのなかにあるのみかけのものをすててください。

please throw away the half-drunk things in the fridge.

このたべかけのおべんとうはだれの？

Whose half-eaten bento is this?

おぼれかけたひとはいきをふきかえした。

The man who nearly drowned began to breathe.

そのこどもはくるまにひかれかけた。

The child was nearly run over by a car.

はんぶんわすれかけたおんがくがかれのこころのなかでおどりました。

Half-forgotten music danced through his mind.

かれがなにかをいいかけたがせんてをうってやった。

He started to say something, but I beat him to it.

かれがたおれかけたときわたしはかれのうでをつかんだ。

I caught him by the arm before he could fall.

かれがねむりかけたときなまえがよばれるのをみみにした。

He was about to fall asleep, when he heard his name called.

かれはそのしごとにあきて、やりかけたままではなっておいた。

He got tired of the work, and left it half-done.

<b>~kakeru</b> is for verbs:
言いかけ　（いいかけ）
In the middle of saying something

本を読みかけて、寝てしまいました
I fell asleep with the book half read.

<b>~kakeno</b> is a modifier for nouns (eg. tabekake no ringo)
食べかけのりんご
A half-eaten apple

<b>~kake da</b> comes at the end of a sentence
where だ is derived from です
書きかけだ
it is in the middle of being written

dc

食べかけの is simply the noun form of 食べかける with の acting as a modifier. I think there is no difference in meaning between '食べかけたケーキ' and '食べかけのケーキ' (although the latter is much more common).

your name

as someone else pointed out the かけた in 話しかけた　is nothing to do with this grammar, it's a set phrase
彼は私に話しかけた。
"he started to talk to me"

dc

this might fall into a category of verb endings, including -dashita

dc

I'm still not convinced of "to almost start" as distinct from "to start (but not finish)" although there are cases where both could be used in translations of sentences using かけた.

Amatuka

書きかけた is incorrect, and should be 書きかけだ.

bamboo4

飲み かけた is incorrect and should be 飲みかけの

bamboo4

読み かけた means "just started to read" and does not have the context of "I didn't finish reading it" which would be 読み終えなかった.

bamboo4

corrections made, thanks!

dc

書きかけた does seem to be a valid (if low) usage - 3,000 Google hits compared to
(書きかけ　-書きかけた)'s 27,600.
Do 飲みかけ, 書きかけ etc belong in the same entry as 読みかけた ?

Amatuka

I suppose 読みかけた doesn't have the nuance of 読み終えなかった - because that would imply that you probably aren't going to finish it.

Amatuka

Presumably they are all based on
かける (aux-v,v1) to turn on; to dial (e.g. phone); to start doing something (but not finish)

Amatuka

Maybe this entry should be changed to 'かける - To start (but not finish) something' with the noun + past tense verb form noted in comments.

Amatuka

Made the change by deleting 私は in #1612. Not need in the context.

bamboo4

私はケーキを 食べ かけた should be 私が

bamboo4

The english in ex#1082 is really awkward. I think it should be "Whose is this half-eaten bento box?"

CorDarei

you're right, that is a literal translation...trying to keep the same order as the japanese. out of style i guess on this site, so i moved it to the notes section.

dc

I think this has two meanings:
1. to start (but not finish)
2. to almost start

dc

not yet tho!

dc

also
食べかけた（時に、、、）
is different from
食べかけの+noun

dc

what would you say this means kaketa arnou i have taken the spelling off something heard so it is probably incorect

rudy

This is a Level 2 grammar point.

Olivier

の in 食べかけの is a nominalizer, which makes a noun phrase out of 食べかけ(started to eat but not yet finished).

bamboo4

I think "to almost start" and "to start (but not finish)" are just dependent on whether the verb describes a durative action or instantaneous one.

Eg.

Instantaneous = hajimakakeru "just about to start" ('started to [but not finished] start' is clumsy)

johnk