Translation guide
Describes things being spread out or dispersed, often in a disorganized way. Covers physical scattering of objects, people, light, and abstract things like attention.
To describe small items like papers, seeds, or leaves being spread around a surface or area, often messily.
Intransitive verb meaning to be scattered or spread around. Often used for things like trash, toys, or leaves.
Toys are scattered on the floor.
Papers were scattered on the desk.
Intransitive verb for petals, leaves, or light things scattering and falling. Often used for cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossom petals are scattered.
Formal or technical term for being scattered or dispersed, often used in scientific contexts.
Light is being scattered.
To describe people or animals being dispersed over an area, not staying together.
Also used for people spreading out, e.g., to search or play.
The children are scattered around the park playing.
Can be used for a crowd dispersing, often with a nuance of breaking up and leaving.
To disperse or spread out, often with a purpose like reducing risk or covering an area.
The police dispersed the crowd.
To describe mental focus or ideas being unfocused or spread thin.
To describe things like houses, villages, or objects being spread out over a large region.
散らばる emphasizes the state of being spread out messily, while 散る often implies falling or dispersing naturally (like petals). For physical objects on a surface, 散らばる is more common.
Trash is scattered in the room.
Petals scatter/fall.
散らばる implies disorder. For things placed intentionally apart, use 配置する (はいちする) or 散りばめる (ちりばめる, to stud or intersperse).
The audience scattered.