Posted inN3 Grammar

Mastering だらけ: Covered In… and What It Really Means

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Covered in; full of; nothing but; riddled with

🎯 Primary Function

To express that something is extensively and unfavorably covered with or full of something.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + だらけ

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Less common in highly formal writing or speech, as it carries a strong, sometimes critical, tone.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in informal conversations to describe negative states.

✍️ Written Language

Used in descriptive writing, especially novels or essays, to vividly depict undesirable conditions. Less frequent in formal reports or academic papers.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in everyday speech to complain or describe unpleasant situations.

💡 Common Applications

Describing physical objects or places in a bad state.
Used for things like rooms, clothes, or bodies covered in dirt, dust, scratches, etc.
Example: この部屋は埃だらけだ。 (This room is covered in dust.)
Describing abstract concepts or results with many flaws.
Used for things like mistakes, debt, or injuries.
Example: 彼の報告書は間違いだらけだった。 (His report was full of mistakes.)
Describing a person’s state covered in something.
Used for someone covered in mud, blood, sweat, etc.
Example: 試合の後、選手たちは泥だらけだった。 (After the match, the players were covered in mud.)
📊
Frequency
Moderately common, particularly when describing undesirable or messy situations.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
Example Sentences
子供が転んで、服が泥だらけになった。
The child fell, and their clothes became covered in mud.
試験の結果は間違いだらけで、がっかりした。
The exam results were full of mistakes, and I was disappointed.
古い倉庫の中は、埃だらけで何も見えなかった。
Inside the old warehouse, it was covered in dust and I couldn’t see anything.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Negative Connotation
だらけ almost always carries a negative connotation, describing a state that is undesirable, messy, or problematic.
Example: 部屋が花だらけ (full of flowers) sounds unnatural or implies too many flowers, often sounding awkward. Use 花いっぱい instead for a positive sense.
Focus on Extensive Coverage
It emphasizes that the noun is *completely* or *heavily* covered or filled with something.
Example: 机の上に少し埃がある (There is a little dust on the desk) vs. 机の上が埃だらけだ (The desk is covered in dust).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using だらけ with positive or neutral nouns.
✅ Use expressions like 〜いっぱい or 〜たくさん instead.
だらけ implies a negative state. For example, using 笑顔だらけ (full of smiles) is incorrect; 笑顔いっぱい is natural.
❌ Confusing it with 〜まみれ.
✅ Understand the typical nouns used with each.
While overlapping, まみれ is more common for liquids, powders, or things that smear (blood, oil, flour), whereas だらけ is broader, including things like scratches, garbage, and abstract errors.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Relatively informal. It’s not typically used in highly formal speeches or official documents.
Social Situations: Common in everyday conversation, complaints, or descriptive narratives about negative situations.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese; usage is widespread.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜だらけ vs 〜まみれ
だらけ is broader and often used for granular things, scratches, abstract mistakes/debt. まみれ is more specific to being smeared or stained, often with liquids or powders.
When to use: Use だらけ for dust, garbage, scratches, mistakes, debt. Use まみれ for mud, blood, oil, flour, sweat (often staining).
〜だらけ vs 〜いっぱい / 〜たくさん
だらけ is negative and implies excessive or undesirable quantity/coverage. いっぱい and たくさん are neutral or positive and simply indicate ‘full’ or ‘many’.
When to use: Use だらけ for negative states (mistakes, debt, dirt). Use いっぱい or たくさん for neutral/positive states (full of energy, many people, full stomach).
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

〜だらけ is a suffix that attaches directly to nouns. It does not conjugate itself.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced だ・ら・け (da-ra-ke) with standard Japanese pitch accent depending on the preceding noun, though often flattish.

🧠 Memory Tips

Associate だらけ with ‘dull’ or ‘dirty’ (ダラダラ dull movement, although unrelated etymologically) or imagine a messy, ‘dull’ room covered in things.

Practice Exercises
会議室は長い間使われておらず、床は（　　）だ。
埃だらけ
埃いっぱい
埃たくさん
埃まみれ
新しいプロジェクトは、最初の段階から（　　）だ。
成功だらけ
失敗だらけ
喜びだらけ
笑顔だらけ
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