Translation guide
The English verb 'scatter' covers several distinct situations: dispersing objects, people moving apart, light/sound spreading, and data distribution. Japanese uses different verbs for each, and the choice depends on what is scattering and how.
To throw, drop, or spread small items or particles loosely over an area.
General verb for scattering seeds, fertilizer, salt, etc. by hand or tool. Also used for sowing seeds.
I scattered seeds in the garden.
Scatter salt on the snow.
To scatter widely or carelessly, often with a sense of spreading around. Used for money, leaflets, or objects thrown about.
He scattered flyers around the town.
To scatter or disperse things, often implying disorder. Can be used for scattering ashes, papers, etc.
The wind scattered the documents.
A group of people or animals separates and goes in different directions.
Intransitive verb for people, animals, or things dispersing naturally. Often used for crowds, petals, or leaves falling.
The audience scattered.
The birds scattered all at once.
Intransitive verb for things or people being scattered around, often with a sense of being spread out over an area.
Formal/literary term for scattering in all directions, often used for crowds or enemies fleeing.
The crowd scattered in all directions.
Light rays, sound, or other waves spread out from a source.
Data points, values, or items are spread over an area or range.
To be distributed or scattered across an area, used for populations, data, or natural phenomena.
The data is widely scattered on the graph.
To be dotted or scattered here and there, often for physical objects like houses or trees.
Villages are scattered among the mountains.
まく implies intentional scattering by hand (seeds, salt), while 散らす often implies making a mess or dispersing things unintentionally. 散らす can also be used for scattering ashes or petals deliberately, but まく is more common for granular materials.
散る is intransitive and means 'to be scattered' or 'to disperse' (e.g., leaves fall, crowd breaks up). To scatter objects, use transitive verbs like まく or 散らす.
The wind scattered the leaves.
Scatter the cheese over the pasta.
子供たちが公園に散らばって遊んでいる。
The children are scattered around the park playing.