〜だらけ
darake
By Nihongo PathUpdated
This form is also taught at JLPT N2, where it carries a different sense or register.
Meaning
full of… / covered in… (undesirable things)
Noun + だらけ means "full of" or "covered with" something you do not want: 泥だらけ "covered in mud", 間違いだらけ "full of mistakes". It is always negative: you cannot say 花だらけ to praise a garden. It behaves like a noun or な-adjective: だらけだ, だらけの + noun, だらけで.
Everyday complaints and vivid descriptions: rooms, clothes, essays, roads. In writing it appears in descriptive passages. Common nouns: 泥, ごみ, 傷, 間違い, ほこり, 血, しわ, 借金.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
Noun + だらけ + だ / ですNoun + だらけ + の + Noun (泥だらけの靴)Noun + だらけ + で、〜 (connective)Noun + だらけになる (become covered in)
Visual diagram
| Aspect | What it covers | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜だらけ | Many unwanted things or marks, anywhere | Negative | 間違いだらけの作文 |
| 〜まみれ (N2) | A liquid or powder sticking to a surface | Negative, physical | 汗まみれのシャツ |
| 〜でいっぱい | Anything, filled up | Neutral / positive | 花でいっぱいの庭 |
Natural examples
子供たちは泥だらけになって帰ってきた。
こどもたちはどろだらけになってかえってきた。
The kids came home covered in mud.
だらけになる: became covered in mud.
この作文は間違いだらけだ。
このさくぶんはまちがいだらけだ。
This essay is full of mistakes.
Abstract 'full of mistakes'.
部屋はほこりだらけで、掃除が大変だった。
へやはほこりだらけで、そうじがたいへんだった。
The room was full of dust and cleaning was hard.
だらけで connective: dust everywhere, so cleaning was hard.
事故の後、車は傷だらけになっていた。
じこのあと、くるまはきずだらけになっていた。
After the accident, the car was covered in scratches.
傷だらけ = covered in scratches or wounds.
彼は借金だらけで、生活が苦しいらしい。
かれはしゃっきんだらけで、せいかつがくるしいらしい。
He is deep in debt and apparently struggling to make ends meet.
Abstract use with 借金.
Similar grammar and the difference
〜まみれ
Only for liquids or particles clinging to a surface (血まみれ, 泥まみれ). だらけ is broader and also abstract.
〜でいっぱい
Neutral 'full of', usable for good things (人でいっぱい, 喜びでいっぱい).
'-ish' (油っぽい = greasy). Describes a quality, not being covered. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 庭は花だらけできれいだ。
- ✓
- 庭は花でいっぱいできれいだ。
- Why
- だらけ is negative and cannot describe something pleasant.
- ✗
- 泥だらけな靴
- ✓
- 泥だらけの靴
- Why
- Before a noun, だらけ takes の, not な.
- ✗
- この文章は間違いだらけがある。
- ✓
- この文章は間違いだらけだ。
- Why
- だらけ already means 'full of'; it does not combine with がある.
だらけ can be used jokingly or affectionately about oneself: 失敗だらけの人生. It attaches only to nouns; verbs and adjectives need a noun form first. In 読解, 傷だらけ and 間違いだらけ appear in descriptions of condition.
JLPT N3 tips
On the exam
- If the noun is something unpleasant (泥, ごみ, 傷, 間違い) and the sense is 'all over', だらけ is right.
- Choices may include まみれ; if the noun is not a liquid/powder (e.g. 間違い), only だらけ works.
- Watch the connector to a following noun: だらけの, never だらけな.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜だらけ mean?
full of… / covered in… (undesirable things). Noun + だらけ means "full of" or "covered with" something you do not want: 泥だらけ "covered in mud", 間違いだらけ "full of mistakes". It is always negative: you cannot say 花だらけ to praise a garden. It behaves like a noun or な-adjective: だらけだ, だらけの + noun, だらけで.
How do you form 〜だらけ?
Noun + だらけ + だ / です / Noun + だらけ + の + Noun (泥だらけの靴) / Noun + だらけ + で、〜 (connective) / Noun + だらけになる (become covered in). V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜だらけ used?
Everyday complaints and vivid descriptions: rooms, clothes, essays, roads. In writing it appears in descriptive passages. Common nouns: 泥, ごみ, 傷, 間違い, ほこり, 血, しわ, 借金.
What is the difference between 〜だらけ and 〜まみれ?
Only for liquids or particles clinging to a surface (血まみれ, 泥まみれ). だらけ is broader and also abstract.
What is the difference between 〜だらけ and 〜でいっぱい?
Neutral 'full of', usable for good things (人でいっぱい, 喜びでいっぱい).
What is a common mistake with 〜だらけ?
Wrong: 庭は花だらけできれいだ。 Right: 庭は花でいっぱいできれいだ。 だらけ is negative and cannot describe something pleasant.
Quick check
サッカーの後、子供たちの服は泥（ ）だった。