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. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comments

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

A: Both “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” are expressions used to describe a situation where something is present in large amounts. In some cases, either one can be used, but depending on what it is and what kind of condition or appearance it creates, you may need to choose the more appropriate one.
Let’s take a closer look.

〜だらけ (JLPT N3)

[Meaning]
An expression used to emphasize that something exists in large amounts and that the situation is undesirable.

[Rule]　
[N] Noun＋だらけ

[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.

It describes a state in which people, objects, or spaces are filled with things that are considered negative or undesirable and can be clearly seen. A key feature of this expression is that it reflects the speaker’s subjective feeling that the situation is unfavorable.

[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.”　

The noun that comes before “〜だらけ” does not necessarily have to be something bad or dirty. This expression can also be used for things that the speaker subjectively considers to be undesirable.

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.”

〜まみれ (JLPT N1)

[Meaning]
Used to describe a state in which the surface is dirty because it is covered with unpleasant liquids or substances.

[Rule]　
[N] Noun＋まみれ

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

[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.”

In this way, it describes a situation in which the surface of a person, object, or space is covered with liquids or fine substances such as powder, resulting in an overall dirty condition. This expression does not simply emphasize that there is a large amount of something; rather, its defining feature is that it conveys the impression that the surface is covered and the whole is dirty.

Let’s Compare

Both “〜だらけ” and “〜まみれ” are used to describe a situation in which there are many undesirable things, but in actual sentences, learners often find it difficult to decide which one to use. Let’s think about the difference by comparing example sentences.

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

In this case, sweat is a liquid, and sweating occurs over the entire body, so ② “汗あせまみれ” is more appropriate.

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

In this case, ① “間違まちがいだらけ” is correct, because the test paper is filled with mistakes, which are undesirable things.

Now, let’s look at cases where either expression can be used.

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

In ①, it describes a state in which a lot of mud is stuck to the child (emphasizing quantity).
In ②, it describes a situation in which the child’s body is covered with mud overall (emphasizing that the surface is covered).

[Examples]　　
① けがをして手てが血ちだらけになりました。
② けがをして手てが血ちまみれになりました。
　　　　　　
In this case as well, both expressions are acceptable.
In ①, it emphasizes that there is a lot of blood on the hands.
In ②, it emphasizes that the hands are covered with blood overall.

As these examples show, depending on the situation, either expression may be used. The key point in choosing between them is whether you want to emphasize “a large amount” or “being covered over the surface.”

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.

---