JLPT N1 Grammar – The difference between “〜ずくめ” and “〜まみれ”
Table of Contents
1. The diffrence between “〜ずくめ” and “〜まみれ”
2. 〜ずくめ
3. 〜まみれ
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comments
Q: What is the difference between “〜ずくめ” and “〜まみれ”?
A: Both expressions describe a state in which there is a lot of something, but their meanings are quite different.
“〜ずくめ” describes a state in which something consists entirely, or almost entirely, of one thing or the same type of thing.
On the other hand, “〜まみれ” describes a state in which something is covered with a large amount of mud, sweat, dust, or a similar substance. It can also be used figuratively.
Let’s take a closer look at each expression.
〜ずくめ (JLPT N1)
[Meaning]
to be full of ~ / to consist entirely of ~
to be all in ~
[Rules]
[A] い adjective＋こと＋ずくめ
[N] Noun＋ずくめ
[Commonly Used Words]
黒(black)・ごちそう(feast)・けっこう(quite)・幸せ(happy)・いいこと(good things)・おめでたい(auspicious)・うれしい(joyful)・失敗(failure) etc.
[Examples]
わー！今日の晩ご飯はごちそうずくめだね！
Wow! Tonight’s dinner is a feast of delicacies!
あそこに帽子から靴まで黒ずくめの男がいます。
There is a man dressed entirely in black, from hat to shoes, over there.
今日はプレゼンがうまくいって、社長にもほめられて、いいことずくめだ！
Today’s presentation went well, and the boss praised me—good things all around!
今年は幸せずくめの一年でした。
This year has been full of happiness.
今年は仕事でもプライベートでも失敗ずくめでした。
This year was full of failures, both at work and in my personal life.
〜まみれ (JLPT N1)
[Meaning]
to be covered in ~
to be full of something undesirable
[Rule]
[N] Noun＋まみれ
[Commonly used words]
ほこり(dust)・泥(mud)・血(blood)・砂(sand)・汗(sweat)・油(oil)・debt etc.
[Examples]
あまりの暑さで汗まみれになりました。
I was drenched in sweat from the intense heat.
この部屋はほこりまみれですね。
This room is covered in dust.
泥まみれの靴を洗いました。
I washed shoes that were covered in mud.
揚げ物をしたら、キッチンが油まみれになりました。
After frying food, the kitchen became covered in oil.
You can check the difference between
“〜まみれ” and “〜だらけ” on this page.
Let’s Compare
① 黒ずくめ／黒まみれ
◯ あそこに黒ずくめの男がいます。
× あそこに黒まみれの男がいます。
There is a man over there dressed entirely in black.
This means that everything, or almost everything, he is wearing, such as his hat, clothes, and shoes, is black.
Since “〜まみれ” describes a state in which something is covered with a large amount of something, “黒ずくめ” is used when a person’s clothing is all, or almost all, black.
② 泥ずくめ／泥まみれ
◯ 子どもたちは外で遊んで、泥まみれになりました。
× 子どもたちは外で遊んで、泥ずくめになりました。
The children played outside and got covered in mud.
This means that a lot of mud is stuck to their bodies and clothes.
Mud is something that sticks to the surface of the body or clothing, so “泥まみれ” is used.
③ いいことずくめ／いいことまみれ
◯ 今日は仕事がうまくいって、欲しかったものも買えて、いいことずくめの一日でした。
× 今日は仕事がうまくいって、欲しかったものも買えて、いいことまみれの一日でした。
Work went well today, and I was able to buy something I wanted. It was a day full of good things.
This means that one good thing after another happened.
Since “good things” are not something that physically stick to the surface of a person or object, “ずくめ” is used rather than “まみれ”.
④ 汗ずくめ／汗まみれ
◯ 暑い中を走ったので、汗まみれになりました。
× 暑い中を走ったので、汗ずくめになりました。
I ran in the heat, so I ended up covered in sweat.
This describes a state in which the body is covered with a lot of sweat.
Since sweat is something that covers the surface of the body, “まみれ” is used.
In this way, “〜ずくめ” describes a state in which something consists entirely, or almost entirely, of one thing or the same type of thing, while “〜まみれ” describes a state in which a person or object is covered with a large amount of something such as mud or sweat.
Summary
[ずくめ]
- Describes a state in which something consists entirely, or almost entirely, of one thing or the same type of thing.
- It is often used in certain common combinations, such as “黒ずくめ” and “いいことずくめ”.
- It can be used for both positive and negative situations.
[まみれ]
- Describes a state in which a person or object is covered with a large amount of something such as mud, sweat, or dust.
- It can also be used figuratively to describe a state in which there is a lot of something undesirable, as in “借金まみれ”.
- It generally has a negative nuance.
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.
A. ずくめ
大好きな人と結婚して子供が生まれて、わたしの人生は幸せずくめです。
After marrying the person I love and having a child, my life has been full of happiness.
“ずくめ” is correct because the sentence describes a life filled with happy things.
A. まみれ
このほこりまみれの本、捨ててもいい？
Can I throw away this book that’s covered in dust?
*“まみれ” is correct because the surface of the book is covered with a lot of dust.
A. まみれ
子供の靴が泥まみれになって洗うのが大変そうです。
The child’s shoes are covered in mud, so they look like they’ll be difficult to clean.
*“まみれ” is correct because the surface of the shoes is covered with a lot of mud.
A. ずくめ
そんな黒ずくめのかっこうじゃなくて、もっと明るい服を着たら？
Why not wear something brighter instead of dressing all in black?
*“ずくめ” is correct because all, or almost all, of the clothes and items being worn are black.
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