JLPT N1・N3 Grammar – “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ”

Table of Contents

1. Difference between “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ”
2. 〜だらけ
3. 〜まみれ
4. Situations where both “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” can be used
5. Let’s Compare
6. Summary
7. Quiz
8. Similar Articles
9. Comment

Q: Can “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” be used interchangeably?

A: Both “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” express that something is abundant or plentiful.
In some cases, either can be used, but they differ based on what or which state or condition is being described, so it is important to choose the appropriate term depending on the context. Let’s look into this further.

〜だらけ (JLPT N3)

When there are many of the same items, often in a negative state.
It describes a situation where a place or space is filled with undesirable items or people, or when someone or something has a lot of unwanted things attached or visible.
The key point is that these undesirable elements are “visible” and “plentiful.”

[Rule]　
[N] Noun＋だらけ

[Examples]　
へやがごみだらけです。
The room is full of garbage.
⇒ In the space “room”, there are many undesirable things, which is “garbage.”

子こどもが泥どろだらけになっています。
The child is covered in mud.
⇒ You can see that the child is covered in a lot of dirt which is “mud.”

わたしの自転じてん車しゃは長ながく使つかっているので傷きずだらけです。　
My bicycle is full of scratches because I have used it for a long time.　　
⇒ It is visible that my bicycle has many “scratches.”　

公園こうえんがねこだらけです。
The park is full of cats.
⇒ The speaker does not favorably view the presence of many “cats” in the space which is “the park.”

*In this way, the prefix “〜だらけ” does not always precede items with a negative or dirty image.
It can also be used subjectively by the speaker for things they consider undesirable.

[Commonly paired words]　
ほこり(dust)・泥どろ(mud)・血ち(blood)・ごみ(trash)・傷きず(scratches)・穴あな(holes)・人ひと(people)・間違まちがい(mistakes) etc.

〜まみれ (JLPT N1)

Describes a situation where the surface is covered with a lot of dirty substances, appearing filthy.
It is used when a person, object, or space is covered with an unpleasant liquid or fine materials, resulting in an overall dirty appearance.
The key point is that these undesirable substances are covering the “surface” of something.

[Rule]　
[N] Noun＋まみれ

[Examples]　
パソコンがほこりまみれだったので掃除そうじしました。
I cleaned my computer because it was covered in dust.
⇒ The surface of the computer was covered with a dirty substance, which is “dust.”

泥どろまみれのくつを洗あらいました。
I washed shoes that were covered in mud.
⇒ The surface of the shoes was covered with “mud,” which is dirt.

揚あげ物ものをしたら、キッチンが油あぶらまみれになりました。
After frying food, the kitchen became covered in oil.
⇒ The kitchen was generally dirtied with “oil.”

[Commonly paired words]　
ほこり(dust)・泥どろ(mud)・血ち(blood)・砂すな(sand)・汗あせ(sweat) etc.

Situations where both “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” can be used

子こどもが　①泥どろだらけ　になって遊あそんでいます。
　　　　　②泥どろまみれ

① describes the child as having a lot of mud on them, indicating patches or a significant amount but not necessarily a complete coating.
② implies the child’s body is thoroughly coated with mud, indicating a more extensive covering.

Additionally,
けがをして手てが　①血ちだらけ　になった。
　　　　　　　　②血ちまみれ　

① describes the hand becoming covered in blood from an injury – This suggests that the hand has many spots or patches of blood.
② shows the hand became blood-smeared from an injury – This suggests that the hand is thoroughly coated with blood, providing a more uniform and complete coverage.

Let’s Compare

In the following cases, which is more appropriate: “〜だらけ” or “〜まみれ”?

[Example 1]
今日きょうは暑あつくて　①汗あせだらけ　になりました。
　　　　　　　②汗あせまみれ　

In this case, since sweating usually covers the body entirely, ②”汗あせまみれ” is more appropriate.

[Example 2]
この間あいだのテストは　①間違まちがいだらけ　で10点てんでした。
　　　　　　　　　②間違まちがいまみれ

Here, ①”間違まちがいだらけ” is correct because the test paper was filled with mistakes (undesirable elements).

[Example 3]
油あぶらをこぼして、床ゆかが　①油あぶらだらけ　になってしまいました。
　　　　　　　　　　 ②油あぶらまみれ

In this scenario, ②”油あぶらまみれ” is correct since oil is a liquid and the floor was covered and dirtied by it.

Summary

〜だらけ

• It expresses the state of “people or spaces being full of undesirable things.”
• “Full of garbage,” “full of books,” or “crowded with people” are examples that can be visually perceived.
• It emphasizes the number or quantity of undesirable elements.
• The term “〜だらけ” does not necessarily precede items with a bad or dirty image.
  

〜まみれ

• It represents the situation where “the surface of people, spaces, or things is completely covered and dirtied by an unpleasant liquid or fine materials.”
• Since these are liquids or fine particles, terms like “garbage,” “books,” or “people,” which are visually identifiable, cannot be used.
• It emphasizes that the entirety is covered rather than the number or quantity of such substances.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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