Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Full of’, ‘covered with’, or ‘riddled with’. Used to indicate that something is completely covered in or contains a large amount of something undesirable.
🎯 Primary Function
To emphasize the abundance of something negative or messy.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun + だらけ
Not applicable. Only nouns are used before だらけ.
Not applicable. Only nouns are used before だらけ.
Noun + だらけ + ではない / じゃありません (Not full of…)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used in formal reports if describing objective negative states (e.g., a report full of errors).
Informal Situations
Very common when complaining or describing a mess.
Written Language
Used in narratives or descriptive texts to set a scene or criticize content.
Spoken Language
Frequently used for emphasis. Often sounds like a complaint.
💡 Common Applications
Physical surfaces
Used when an object or person is physically covered by a substance like mud, dust, or blood.
Example: 泥だらけ (doro-darake) – Covered in mud.
Abstract concepts
Used when something non-physical, like a report or a story, contains many negative elements like errors or lies.
Example: 間違いだらけ (machigai-darake) – Full of mistakes.
Frequency
High in daily conversation and descriptive writing.
Difficulty
JLPT N3 (Intermediate)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
子供たちは、泥だらけになって帰ってきました。
Furigana: こどもたちは、どろだらけになってかえってきました。
Romaji: Kodomotachi wa, doro darake ni natte kaettekimasu.
English: The children came home covered in mud.
Example #2
この作文は、間違いだらけです。
Furigana: このさくぶんは、まちがいだらけです。
Romaji: Kono sakubun wa, machigai darake desu.
English: This essay is full of mistakes.
Example #3
彼の部屋は、ゴミだらけで散らかっている。
Furigana: かれのへやは、ごみだらけでちらかっている。
Romaji: Kare no heya wa, gomi darake de chirakatte iru.
English: His room is messy and full of garbage.
Example #4
あの人の説明は、矛盾だらけだ。
Furigana: あのひとのせつめいは、むじゅんだらけだ。
Romaji: Ano hito no setsumei wa, mujun darake da.
English: That person’s explanation is full of contradictions.
Example #5
一ヶ月掃除しなかったので、棚は埃だらけだ。
Furigana: いっかげつそうじしなかったので、たなはほこりだらけだ。
Romaji: Ikkagetsu souji shinakatta node, tana wa hokori darake da.
English: After not cleaning for a month, the shelf was covered in dust.
Example #6
彼はギャンブルのせいで借金だらけだ。
Furigana: かれはギャンブルのせいでしゃっきんだらけだ。
Romaji: Kare wa gyanburu no sei de shakkin darake da.
English: He is in a lot of debt because of gambling.
Example #7
この古い机は、傷だらけだ。
Furigana: このふるいつくえは、きずだらけだ。
Romaji: Kono furui tsukue wa, kizu darake da.
English: This old table is covered in scratches.
Example #8
彼の話は嘘だらけなので、信用できない。
Furigana: かれのはなしはうそだらけなので、しんようできない。
Romaji: Kare no hanashi wa uso darake node, shinyou dekinai.
English: I don’t trust him because his stories are full of lies.
Example #9
喧嘩の後、彼の顔は血だらけだった。
Furigana: けんかのあと、かれのかおはちだらけだった。
Romaji: Kenka no ato, kare no kao wa chi darake datta.
English: After the fight, his face was covered in blood.
Example #10
私の服は猫の毛だらけです。
Furigana: わたしのふくはねこのけだらけです。
Romaji: Watashi no fuku wa neko no ke darake desu.
English: My clothes are covered in cat hair.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Negative nuance focus.
‘だらけ’ implies being ‘covered’ or ‘filled’ throughout, whereas ‘ばかり’ suggests frequency or exclusivity.
Example: 間違いだらけ (Full of mistakes) vs. 間違いばかり (Nothing but mistakes).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 幸せだらけの人生 (Shiawase darake no jinsei).
✅ 幸せいっぱいの人生 (Shiawase ippai no jinsei).
‘だらけ’ is almost exclusively used for negative things. You cannot use it for ‘happiness’ or ‘joy’.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to informal. Since it often carries a negative nuance, use it carefully when describing things belonging to others.
Social Situations: Commonly used when showing frustration, disgust, or when reporting a problem.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese.
🔍 Subtle Differences
だらけ vs まみれ (mamire)
‘まみれ’ is used only for physical substances covering a surface (liquid, powder), while ‘だらけ’ can be used for both physical substances and abstract things like mistakes.
When to use: Use ‘まみれ’ for ‘smeared with oil’ (油まみれ). Use ‘だらけ’ for ‘full of errors’.
だらけ vs ずくめ (zukume)
‘ずくめ’ is often neutral or positive (e.g., black clothes throughout, or good news), whereas ‘だらけ’ is negative.
When to use: Use ‘ずくめ’ for ‘黒ずくめ’ (all in black). Use ‘だらけ’ for ‘埃だらけ’ (covered in dust).
📝 Conjugation Notes
だらけ functions as a na-adjective or a noun. To modify another noun, use ‘だらけの + Noun’. To end a sentence, use ‘だらけだ’ or ‘だらけです’.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The stress is usually even, but emphasizing the ‘da’ can add extra frustration.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘darake’ as ‘dirty’ (starting with D). It is used for things that are messy, dirty, or wrong.
Other Grammar
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