Japanese word

溜まり

Pronunciation

Romajitamari

Meaning

  • nounpile

Example

部屋の隅に落ち葉の溜まりがあります。heya no sumi ni o chi ba no ta ma ri ga a ri ma su

There is a pile of fallen leaves in the corner of the room.

Illustration for 溜まり (pile)

More examples

雨の後、道路の脇に水の溜まりがいくつも残っています。ame no ato dō ro no waki ni mizu no ta ma ri ga i ku tsu mo noko tte i ma su

After the rain, several pools of water remain along the side of the road.

Core concept

Focuses on an amount that gathers in one spot and stays there as a concentrated whole.

Common phrases

  • 水の溜まりmizu no ta ma ri

    a pool of water

  • ごみの溜まりgo mi no ta ma ri

    an accumulation of trash

  • 汚れの溜まりyogo re no ta ma ri

    a buildup of dirt

Similar words

山yama: A large amount of things piled into a raised heap.
集積shūseki: A quantity of materials gathered in one place, often through deliberate collection.
堆積taiseki: A mass of material that builds up in layers through repeated deposits.

Definition in Japanese

物が集まって一か所にたまったもの。mono ga atsu ma tte ichi ka sho ni ta ma tta mo no

Word origin

溜まり (tamari) comes from the native verb 溜まる (tamaru, "to gather or accumulate") and names the gathered result or place.

Usage tips

  • English uses tamari chiefly for a Japanese soy sauce, so learners may meet a familiar-looking word with a more specific food-related sense than 溜まり (tamari).

Other meanings

  • accumulationnoun
  • poolnoun

Word lists with this word