noun
Often used in children's language or informal contexts. Refers to wet, sticky mud, especially when playing or getting dirty.
子供たちは泥んこになって遊んでいる。
The children are playing, getting covered in mud.
雨上がりの公園は泥んこだらけだ。
After the rain, the park is full of mud.
na-adjective
muddy; covered in mud
Describes a state of being muddy or splattered with mud. Used as a na-adjective.
靴が泥んこになっちゃった。
My shoes got all muddy.
犬が泥んこで家に入ってきた。
The dog came into the house covered in mud.
泥 is the standard neutral word for mud. 泥んこ is more colloquial and often carries a playful or childish nuance.
Derived from 泥 (どろ, 'mud') with the suffix んこ, which adds a colloquial, often childish or affectionate tone. The exact origin of んこ is uncertain, but it appears in similar words like 尻んこ (しりんこ, 'buttocks') and 膝んこ (ひざんこ, 'knees').