だらけ

だらけ means full of; covered with; a lot of (something undesirable) ~. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to describe something covered in or full of negative or undesirable things.

This grammar point often appears in neutral Japanese. If you want to describe messes, problems, or undesirable accumulations, だらけ is a useful pattern to learn.

What does だらけ mean?

Use だらけ when you want to describe something covered in or full of negative or undesirable things.

Natural translations include:

• full of; covered with (something negative) ~
• full of; covered with; a lot of (something undesirable) ~
• full of; covered with

How to form だらけ

Noun + だらけ

Examples of the pattern:

• 泥だらけ
• 間違いだらけ
• 借金だらけ

When is だらけ used?

Use だらけ in situations like:

• complaining about messes
• describing bad conditions
• exaggerating negative situations

Tone and register:

• neutral
• Common in complaining about messes, test questions, and written narratives

だらけ example sentences

• レポートが間違いだらけだった。 — The report was full of mistakes.
• 子供が泥だらけになって遊んでいる。 — The kids are playing, covered in mud.
• 彼は借金だらけだ。 — He is deep in debt.
• 部屋がゴミだらけだ。 — The room is full of garbage.
• その書類は嘘だらけだった。 — That document was full of lies.

Nuance of だらけ

The key nuance is always negative or undesirable — you use it for mud, mistakes, debts, and dirt, never for flowers or presents.

This matters because 〜だらけ is inherently negative. It implies the thing is ruined, messy, or problematic because of what covers it. Do not use it for positive things.

For example:

• In complaining about messes, it sounds natural and specific.
• Compared with まみれ, it carries a different weight and implication.

だらけ vs まみれ

Both だらけ and まみれ can express full of, but they are different.

だらけ:

• strongly negative; used for abstract and physical undesirable things like debts, mistakes, lies

まみれ:

• neutral or slightly negative; physical covering with sticky or wet things like blood or mud

Quick contrast examples:

• 服が泥だらけだ。 — My clothes are covered in mud (what a mess).
• 服が泥まみれだ。 — My clothes are caked with mud (physically covered).

Common mistakes with だらけ

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using it for positive things (花だらけ sounds like an infestation of flowers)
• Confusing it with ばかり which means only, not covered in
• Using it in formal writing where に満ちている might be more appropriate

Is だらけ on the JLPT?

Yes. だらけ is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for だらけ

Try making your own sentences with these prompts:

• Say a report is full of mistakes.
• Complain that your room is full of garbage.
• Describe someone covered in mud.

Learning path for だらけ

To learn だらけ efficiently, review adjective and noun modification first, then practice how the pattern describes tendency, excess, or noticeable quality.

1. First, make sure you can form だらけ without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with っぽい, 気味（ぎみ）. These patterns are close enough that choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.
3. Finally, write sentences about personality, appearance, amount, and evaluation; then check whether replacing だらけ with がち changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• っぽい — because it also describes degree, tendency, or noticeable quality.
• 気味（ぎみ） — because it also describes degree, tendency, or noticeable quality.
• がち — because it also describes degree, tendency, or noticeable quality.
• あまりにも — because it also describes degree, tendency, or noticeable quality.

Learn だらけ with Hane

If you want to review だらけ together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

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