Japanese word

散らばる

Pronunciation

Romajichirabaru

Meaning

  • verbbe scattered

Example

部屋におもちゃが散らばっています。heya ni o mo cha ga chi ra ba tte i ma su

Toys are scattered around the room.

Illustration for 散らばる (be scattered)

More examples

風で紙が庭中に散らばりました。kaze de kami ga niwa jū ni chi ra ba ri ma shi ta

The papers were scattered all over the yard by the wind.

Core concept

Describes people or things that are separated from one another and spread across an area rather than gathered in one place.

Common phrases

  • あちこちに散らばるa chi ko chi ni chi ra ba ru

    be scattered here and there

  • 床一面に散らばるyuka ichi men ni chi ra ba ru

    be scattered all over the floor

Similar words

散在するsanzaisuru: To be located here and there across an area.
散るchiru: To disperse from a group or spread into different places.
散らかるchirakaru: To be untidy because objects are spread throughout a place.

Definition in Japanese

人や物が一か所に集まらず、あちこちに分かれて広がっている。hito ya mono ga ichi ka sho ni atsu ma ra zu a chi ko chi ni wa ka re te hiro ga tte i ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 散らばる (chirabaru) is formed from 散る (chiru, "to scatter") with the suffix ばる (baru), which forms a verb describing a spread-out state.

Usage tips

  • The intransitive verb 散らばる (chirabaru) describes objects or people spread across an area, while 散らかる (chirakaru) focuses on a place being untidy.

Other meanings

  • be littered with ___verb
  • disperseverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 散らばりchirabariscatteringnoun

Word lists with this word