バラバラ

バ

ラ

バ

ラ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

バラバラする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

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

Meanings

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', adverb, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

scattered; dispersed; in pieces; loose; disconnected

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes things that are physically separated, not unified, or in a state of disarray. Often used for objects, groups, or sounds like rustling or dripping.

書しょ類るいがバラバラになってしまった。
The documents got all scattered.
みんなの意い見けんがバラバラでまとまらない。
Everyone's opinions are all over the place and can't be brought together.
雨あめがバラバラと屋や根ねを打うった。
The rain pattered against the roof.

See all 33 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉がバラバラになるfor something to fall apart / scatter into pieces
花か瓶びんが落おちてバラバラになった。
The vase fell and shattered into pieces.
〈物もの〉をバラバラにするto take something apart / break something into pieces
彼かれはおもちゃをバラバラにしてしまった。
He took the toy apart into pieces.
〈事こと〉がバラバラだfor opinions or statements to be inconsistent/all over the place
クラスの意い見けんがバラバラで、話はなしがまとまらなかった。
The class's opinions were all over the place, and the discussion never came together.
〈人ひと〉がバラバラになるfor a group of people to split up / become separated
事じ故このあと、家か族ぞくがバラバラになってしまった。
After the accident, the family ended up scattered apart.

Kanji

薔water pepper
薇an edible fern

Related words· 8

散さん乱らん
散乱 is a more formal, written word for things being strewn about, while バラバラ is the everyday word covering both physical scattering and lack of unity.
散ちり散ぢり
ちりぢり emphasizes people or things drifting apart and separating, whereas バラバラ more broadly covers any state of disorder or disconnection.
まちまちN1
まちまち describes items or opinions varying from one another, while バラバラ can also describe physical pieces being scattered or broken apart.
支し離り滅めつ裂れつ
支離滅裂 is a stronger, more literary word for something being utterly incoherent (like an argument), while バラバラ is a lighter, more general word for disorder.

Show 4 more

めちゃくちゃN3
めちゃくちゃ conveys general chaos or a mess, while バラバラ specifically points to things being separated or disconnected from each other.
粉こな々ごなN1
ばらばら describes things scattered apart or in disorganized separate pieces, while 粉々 specifically means crushed into tiny fragments.
ちぐはぐN1
ばらばら stresses things being physically scattered or falling apart, while ちぐはぐ stresses that things don't match in style, quality, or logic.
ぱらぱらN1
ばらばら emphasizes disorder or separation among scattered things, while ぱらぱら is lighter and simply means sparse or thin in occurrence.

Opposites

一いっ致ちN3
一致 describes opinions or facts matching up, the opposite of バラバラ describing opinions that are scattered and inconsistent.
揃そろうN3
揃う describes things being matched or gathered together uniformly, the opposite of バラバラ describing things that are scattered and mismatched.

Don't confuse with

別べつ々べつN4
別々 means each thing handled or existing individually and separately (often intentionally), while バラバラ means scattered or disconnected in a disorderly, often unintended way.

Written forms

バラバラUsage57%
Standard katakana spelling for this mimetic word.
ばらばらUsage43%
Hiragana spelling is also common.

Etymology

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it likely imitates the sound of small objects scattering or falling separately.