JLPT N1Spoken and writtenA short list of words

ずくめall in …; nothing but

The whole of something is one kind: an outfit that is black from head to foot, a year of nothing but good things. It lives in a short list of words, to recognize more than to build.

彼かれは帽ぼう子しから靴くつまで黒くろずくめだった。

He was dressed all in black, from his hat to his shoes.

今年ことしは昇しょう進しんに結けっ婚こんにと、いいことずくめの一いち年ねんだった。

What with a promotion and a wedding, this has been a year of nothing but good things.

How to form it

Noun + ずくめ

Only certain words. The result works like a noun: 黒くろずくめだ, 黒くろずくめの男おとこ. Also written づくめ.

Before it: A color, for clothes. Or what a time or a place is all made of: good things, rules, records.
Tone: None of its own. The word in front says whether it is good or bad.
Where you'll meet it: 黒くろずくめ and いいことずくめ in conversation and writing alike. The rest mostly in writing, newspapers above all.

The words you will meet

黒くろずくめ・白しろずくめdressed all in black, all in white

俳はい優ゆうは授じゅ賞しょう式しきに白しろずくめの衣い装しょうで現あらわれた。

The actor appeared at the awards ceremony dressed all in white.

いいことずくめnothing but good things

新あたらしい職しょく場ばは、待たい遇ぐうも環かん境きょうもいいことずくめに思おもえた。

The pay, the conditions, the surroundings: the new job seemed to be nothing but good things.

規き則そくずくめa rule for everything

この学がっ校こうは規き則そくずくめで、靴くつ下したの色いろまで決きめられている。

This school has a rule for everything, right down to the color of your socks.

異い例れいずくめunprecedented at every turn

今年ことしの大たい会かいは、無む観かん客きゃくでの開かい催さいなど異い例れいずくめだった。

This year's tournament was unprecedented at every turn, starting with being held without spectators.

Others: 記き録ろくずくめ (one record after another), ごちそうずくめ (one fine dish after another), 残ざん業ぎょうずくめ (nothing but overtime). Writers make a few more on the same lines.

ずくめ or だらけ?

だらけ is many unwelcome things scattered through something: 間ま違ちがいだらけ, full of mistakes. ずくめ is the whole of it being one kind, and the kind can be good: いいことずくめ.

Close neighbours

だらけN3

After a noun: covered in or full of something unwelcome that you can see or count. 泥どろだらけ, 傷きずだらけ, 間ま違ちがいだらけ.

シャツは泥どろだらけだ。

The shirt is covered in mud.

まみれN1

Coated all over in something that sticks: mud, blood, sweat, oil.

子こどもたちは泥どろまみれになって帰かえってきた。

The children came home covered in mud.

ばかりN3

The everyday "nothing but", on any noun: いい人ひとばかり, 新しん人じんばかり.

新あたらしいクラスはいい人ひとばかりだ。

Everyone in my new class is nice.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

犯はん人にんは全ぜん身しん黒くろ（　　）の男おとこだったという。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

何なん年ねんも使つかっていない部屋へやは、ほこり（　　）だった。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

何なにもかもがいいことずくめという話はなしには、少すこし注ちゅう意いしたほうがいい。

It pays to be a little wary of any offer that sounds like nothing but good things.