だらけcovered in; full of
Something you don't want is all over a thing, or all through it, and there is a lot of it: mud on a shirt, mistakes in an essay.
full of
This exam paper is full of calculation mistakes.
How to form it
Noun + だらけ
The result works like a noun: 泥だらけだ, 泥だらけの靴, 泥だらけになる.
- Before it
- Something you can see or count: dirt, stains, damage, mistakes, debts.
- Tone
- Mostly a complaint, or a wince.
- Where you'll meet it
- Conversation and everyday writing.
The words you will hear
傷だらけcovered in cuts or scratches
This old bicycle has ended up covered in scratches.
血だらけcovered in blood
I fell over, and my knee was covered in blood.
ほこりだらけthick with dust
The top of the bookshelf was thick with dust.
穴だらけfull of holes
You can't walk in the rain in shoes full of holes.
間違いだらけfull of mistakes
My essay was full of mistakes.
借金だらけdeep in debt
The company ended up deep in debt.
Not for good news
English "full of" is just as happy with good things. だらけ mostly isn't. For something welcome, or a plain fact, people say でいっぱい.
The room is full of trash.
Unwelcome, and all over the place.
The room is full of flowers.
Welcome, or simply a fact.
花だらけ would sound as if the flowers were in your way. When an advert says いいことだらけ, "nothing but good things", it is being playful.
Close neighbours
まみれN1
Coated all over in something that sticks: mud, blood, sweat, oil. Holes, scratches and mistakes can't coat anything, so they only take だらけ.
The children came home covered in mud.
気味N3
After a noun or a verb stem: a touch of something, mostly unwelcome, that you feel or notice now or lately. 風邪気味, 疲れ気味, 太り気味.
When you feel a cold coming on, it's best to rest early.
がちN3
After a verb stem or a noun: it tends to happen, again and again over time, and is mostly unwelcome. 忘れがち, 遅れがち, 病気がち, ありがち.
I was often ill as a child.
っぽいN3
Casual, and often a criticism. After a noun or an adjective stem, "-ish", it has the feel of that thing: 子どもっぽい, 安っぽい, 黒っぽい, 熱っぽい. After a verb stem, "quick to": 忘れっぽい, 怒りっぽい.
The design of this watch looks a little cheap.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
公園は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
雨の
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
My hands are covered in paint.
The floor is covered with the children's toys.
His explanation was full of contradictions.
I ended up handing in a report riddled with typos.