どら

ど

ら

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Used as a prefix or noun to describe a person who is habitually lazy, idle, or dissolute. Often appears in compounds like どら息子 (prodigal son) or どら猫 (stray cat).

彼かれはどら息子むすこで、仕し事ごともせずに遊あそんでばかりいる。
He is a good-for-nothing son who does nothing but play around without working.
あのどら猫ねこはいつも台だい所どころに入はいり込こんでくる。
That stray cat always sneaks into the kitchen.

interjection

hey!

An interjection used to call someone's attention, similar to 'hey!' or 'oi!'. Casual and somewhat rough.

どら、ちょっとこっち来こい。
Hey, come here a sec.

Related words

怠なまけ者ものN3sense 1
怠け者 is the standard noun for a lazy person, while どら is a rougher, colloquial prefix often used in compounds like どら息子.
おい sense 2
おい is a common, neutral way to call someone's attention, while どら is rougher and much less frequently used as an interjection.
無ぶ精しょう sense 1
無精 describes a general lack of diligence or unwillingness to bother with things, whereas どら specifically implies habitual idleness or dissoluteness, often in compounds.
こら sense 2
こら is used to scold or reprimand someone sharply, whereas どら is simply a rough call for attention without necessarily implying rebuke.
ぐうたら sense 1
ぐうたら is a casual, expressive word for someone chronically lazy, similar in register to どら but usable on its own rather than mainly as a prefix.

Opposites

勤きん勉べんN1sense 1
勤勉 means diligent and hardworking, the direct opposite of the laziness implied by どら.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the onomatopoeic sound of a gong (どら) used to call attention, but the connection to the 'lazy' sense is unclear.