うっすら

う

っ

す

ら

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

うっすらする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	うっすらする	うっすらしない
Polite	うっすらします	うっすらしません
Past polite	うっすらしました	うっすらしませんでした
Past	うっすらした	うっすらしなかった
Te-form	うっすらして	うっすらしないで
Desire	うっすらしたい	うっすらしたくない
Potential	うっすらできる	うっすらできない
Passive	うっすらされる	うっすらされない
Causative	うっすらさせる	うっすらさせない
Causative passive	うっすらさせられる	うっすらさせられない
Volitional	うっすらしよう
Polite volitional	うっすらしましょう
Imperative	うっすらしろ	うっすらするな
Conditional	うっすらすれば	うっすらしなければ
Tara conditional	うっすらしたら	うっすらしなかったら

Meanings

adverb taking the 'to' particle, adverb, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

slightly; faintly; thinly

usually written using kana alone

Describes something done or perceived to a small degree: a light coating, a faint memory, a dim light, etc. Often used with verbs like 見える, 覚えている, 積もる.

山やまの頂ちょう上じょうに雪ゆきがうっすらと積つもっていた。
A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the mountain top.
彼かれのことはうっすらとしか覚おぼえていない。
I only faintly remember him.

See all 23 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

うっすら覚おぼえているto vaguely/faintly remember something
その日ひのことはうっすら覚おぼえている。
I faintly remember what happened that day.
うっすら見みえるto be faintly visible
霧きりの中なかに山やまがうっすら見みえる。
The mountain is faintly visible through the fog.
うっすら雪ゆきが積つもるfor snow to lightly accumulate
今朝けさ、庭にわにうっすら雪ゆきが積つもっていた。
This morning, a thin layer of snow had settled in the yard.
うっすらと化け粧しょうをするto apply light/subtle makeup
彼かの女じょはうっすらと化け粧しょうをしているだけだった。
She was only wearing light makeup.
うっすら汗あせをかくto break into a light sweat
運うん動どうをしただけでうっすら汗あせをかいた。
Just exercising a little made me break into a light sweat.

Kanji

薄dilute, thin, weak (tea)

Related words

ほんのり
ほんのり and うっすら both mean 'faintly, slightly', but ほんのり often suggests a pleasant, warm nuance (a faint blush or aroma) while うっすら is neutral and can describe cold or negative faintness too.
かすかN2
微か is a na-adjective meaning 'faint, slight' used to describe barely perceptible sounds, light, or feelings, while うっすら is an adverb describing the manner in which something is faintly done or perceived.
薄うすいN5
薄い is an adjective meaning 'thin' or 'pale', while うっすら is an adverb describing a slight degree, so うっすら often modifies verbs where 薄い would describe a noun.

Opposites

はっきりN4
はっきり means 'clearly, distinctly', the opposite of うっすら, which describes something faint or barely perceptible.

Don't confuse with

薄うす々うす
うすうす sounds similar to うっすら and also means 'vaguely, dimly' but is used specifically for a vague awareness or suspicion (うすうす気づく), whereas うっすら describes a physical or sensory faintness (light, memory, layer).

Written forms

うっすらUsage92%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 薄ら and 薄っすら are rare and irregular.
薄うっすらUsage6%
irregular okurigana
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely encountered.
薄うっすらUsage2%
Rare kanji spelling; the okurigana is irregular and not standard.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective 薄い (usui, 'thin') with an emphatic or adverbial suffix. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word.