Japatan
Formation
- N + まみれ
Explanation
Attached to a noun, it describes liquid or fine particles stuck all over a body or object. It is used with words like 泥, 汗, 油, ほこり, 砂 and usually carries a sense of dirtiness or discomfort. It can also describe being completely caught up in something bad, as in 借金まみれ (buried in debt).
Examples
雨の中でサッカーをして、子どもたちは 泥まみれになった。
After playing soccer in the rain, the children were covered in mud.
暑い日に引っ越しの荷物を運んで、汗まみれになった。
I carried moving boxes on a hot day and ended up drenched in sweat.
長い間使っていなかった倉庫の机は、ほこりまみれだった。
The desk in the storeroom, unused for a long time, was covered in dust.
工場で働く父は、いつも 油まみれの作業服で帰ってきた。
My father, who worked at a factory, always came home in work clothes covered in oil.
Notes
だらけ can mean 'many' (傷だらけ, 間違いだらけ), while まみれ means a surface is coated all over. ずくめ is for colors or events and is not used for dirt.
Related grammar
Mini quiz
1台所の換気扇は何年も掃除していなかったので、油（ ）だった。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 まみれ
The kitchen fan hadn't been cleaned for years, so it was covered in grease. 油まみれ is correct; ずくめ is not used for dirt, and ぎみ and がち show tendencies.
2一日中畑で働いて、顔も手も（ ）になった。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 泥まみれ
After working in the field all day, my face and hands were covered in mud. 泥まみれ is the natural expression; the other endings do not combine with 泥.
3「まみれ」の使い方が正しい文はどれですか。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 海で遊んだ子どもたちの足は砂まみれだった。
The children's feet were covered in sand after playing at the beach. 1 and 3 need ずくめ, and 4 needs だらけ.
