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散発的 (sanpatsuteki) Japanese meaning: sporadic | Kotomora

散さん発ぱつ的てき

さ

ん

ぱ

つ

て

き

Meanings

1

sporadic; intermittent; scattered

Describes events or occurrences that happen irregularly and at scattered intervals, not continuously or predictably.

散さん発ぱつ的てきな雨あめが一いち日

にち

中じゅう

降ふ

り

続つづ

い

た

。

Sporadic rain continued throughout the day.

抗こう議ぎ活かつ動どうは散さん発ぱつ的てきに発はっ生せいしている。

Protests are occurring sporadically.

Kanji

散scatter, disperse, spend
発departure, discharge, publish
的bull's eye, mark, target

Related words

断だん続ぞく的てき
断続的 means intermittent with a sense of on-and-off repetition, often with some regularity, while 散発的 emphasizes scattered, unpredictable occurrences without a pattern.

Opposites

組そ織しき的てき
組織的 implies planned, continuous coordination, while 散発的 describes isolated, sporadic occurrences without such coordination.

Built from

散さん発ぱつ+的てき

Etymology

Compound of 散発 (さんぱつ, 'scattered occurrence') and the adjectival suffix 的 (てき, '-like'). 散発 itself is from 散 (scatter) and 発 (occur).