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方々 (ほうぼう, houbou) Japanese meaning: here and there | Kotomora

方ほう々ぼう

ほ

う

ぼ

う

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

here and there; all over; everywhere

Describes movement or presence in many places, often with a sense of scattered or random distribution. Can be used adverbially or as a noun.

週しゅう末まつは

方ほう

々ぼう

に

出で

かける

の

が

好す

き

だ

。

I like going out here and there on weekends.

彼かれの噂うわさは方ほう々ぼうに広ひろまった。

Rumors about him spread all over.

Usage patterns

方々ほうぼうを旅たびするto travel here and there
彼かれは仕し事ごとで方ほう々ぼうを旅たびしている。
He travels all over for work.
方々ほうぼうに手てを尽つくすto try every possible means, appealing in many directions
資し金きんを集あつめるために方ほう々ぼうに手てを尽つくした。
I tried every possible avenue to raise funds.
方々ほうぼうから〈物もの〉〉が届とどくfor things to arrive from all over
お祝いわいの品しなが方ほう々ぼうから届とどいた。
Congratulatory gifts arrived from all over.
方々ほうぼうを探さがし回まわるto search all over for something
なくした鍵かぎを方ほう々ぼう探さがし回まわった。
I searched everywhere for my lost keys.

Kanji

方direction, person, alternative

Related words

あちこちN3
あちこち is a more colloquial, everyday word for moving between many places, while 方々 sounds slightly more formal or literary describing the same scattered distribution.
そこらじゅう
そこら中 casually emphasizes 'all over the place' often with a messy or exaggerated feel, whereas 方々 is neutral and fits both casual and formal contexts.
いたるところN1
至る所 is a literary way to say 'everywhere,' emphasizing exhaustive coverage, while 方々 simply lists many scattered locations without such emphasis.
各かく地ちN2
各地 refers to distinct named regions or areas (e.g., across the country), while 方々 is vaguer, just meaning 'various places' without specifying regions.
各かく方ほう面めんN2
方々 is a more casual, everyday word for 'here and there,' while 各方面 is formal and typical of news or official language.

Don't confuse with

方かた々がたN3
方々 (ほうぼう) means 'here and there,' while 方々 (かたがた) is an honorific term for 'people' or 'individuals'; they are written identically but read and mean differently.

Word family

所しょ々しょ方ほう々ぼう
everywhere; here and there

Written forms

方ほう々ぼうUsage70%
Standard kanji spelling; the repetition mark 々 is used.
ほうぼうUsage23%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing.
方ほう方ぼうUsage7%
Less common spelling without the repetition mark.

Etymology

Reduplication of 方 (ほう, 'direction') with the meaning 'various directions', leading to the sense of 'here and there'.