ちらほら

ち

ら

ほ

ら

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

here and there; sparsely; in small numbers

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes things appearing or existing in scattered, small numbers across an area, often with a visual or spatial sense.

公こう園えんには桜さくらの木きがちらほらと咲さき始はじめていた。
Cherry trees were starting to bloom here and there in the park.

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

occasionally; now and then; from time to time

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Used for events or occurrences that happen sporadically over time, not necessarily tied to physical distribution.

最さい近きん、ちらほらと彼かれの噂うわさを聞きくようになった。
Lately, I've been hearing rumors about him now and then.

See all 14 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉がちらほら見みえるto be visible here and there
遠とおくに民みん家かがちらほら見みえる。
You can see houses here and there in the distance.
〈物もの〉がちらほら咲さくto bloom sparsely, here and there
公こう園えんの桜さくらがちらほら咲さき始はじめた。
The cherry blossoms in the park have started to bloom here and there.
〈事こと〉がちらほら聞きこえるto occasionally hear something
教きょう室しつから笑わらい声ごえがちらほら聞きこえてくる。
Laughter occasionally drifts in from the classroom.
白髪しらががちらほらするto have a few gray hairs showing here and there
最さい近きん、父ちちの頭あたまに白髪しらががちらほらする。
Lately my father has a few gray hairs showing here and there.

Related words· 9

まばらN1sense 1
まばら is a な-adjective/noun describing a sparse state, while ちらほら is an adverb describing the manner in which things appear scattered.
ポツポツN1sense 1
ぽつぽつ suggests things appearing slowly and one by one, while ちらほら emphasizes a light, scattered spread without implying a building pace.
時とき々どきN5sense 2
時々 is a plain, common word for 'sometimes,' while ちらほら adds a nuance of sporadic, occasional occurrence with a slightly literary feel.
ぼちぼちN1
ちらほら and ぼちぼち both describe things appearing sporadically here and there, though ちらほら is more common in this scattered sense.

Show 5 more

ぼつぼつN1
ちらほら describes things appearing sparsely and intermittently, similar to ぼつぼつ's 'here and there' sense, but ちらほら is more common in casual speech about sightings.
点てん々てんN2
点々 is a slightly more formal/descriptive term for things scattered here and there, while ちらほら is more casual and often used for things gradually starting to appear, like cherry blossoms.
ポツリポツリN1
ちらほら describes things appearing here and there in small numbers, similar to ポツリポツリ's sense of sparse occurrence, but it lacks ポツリポツリ's rhythmic sense of pause-then-repeat.
所ところ々どころN3
ちらほら stresses that something appears sparsely and intermittently, while 所々 simply marks scattered spots within a set area.
ちらちらN1
ちらほら means something occurs sporadically or here and there, often of people or reports, while ちらちら emphasizes brief visual flashes or repeated glimpses.

Opposites

ぎっしりN3sense 1
ぎっしり describes things packed tightly together, the opposite of ちらほら's scattered, sparse distribution.
わんさ
ちらほら describes things appearing sparsely, here and there, the opposite of わんさ's sense of crowding in great numbers.
ぞろぞろN1
ちらほら describes people or things appearing sparsely and occasionally, the opposite of ぞろぞろ's image of a dense, continuous crowd.

Don't confuse with

ちらちらN1
ちらちら (flickering, glancing repeatedly) looks and sounds similar to ちらほら but describes rapid, light movement rather than sparse distribution.

Written forms

ちらほらUsage70%
Kana-only mimetic adverb; no kanji spelling is used.
チラホラUsage30%

Etymology

A mimetic word (擬態語) derived from the reduplication of ちら, which suggests scattered or intermittent appearance. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is part of a large family of sound-symbolic adverbs in Japanese.