Entry
ほろほろ
horohoro
ほろほろ (horohoro) describes light, delicate things falling quietly like tears or petals, or the incredibly tender, crumbly texture of food that melts in your mouth.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
The word ほろほろ is used to paint a picture of light, thin, or small objects falling softly and silently, most commonly teardrops or autumn leaves. Additionally, it is widely used to describe food textures—such as slow-cooked meat or delicate pastries—that are so soft and tender they easily fall apart or melt when eaten.
- Falling softly and gently (tears, petals)
- Extremely tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture
Sense Map
Quietly falling
Describes delicate things like tears, leaves, or flower petals falling softly and silently.
涙がほろほろこぼれる。
Softly crumbling
Describes the texture of food that is so soft and tender it easily falls apart or melts in the mouth, like braised meat or cookies.
肉がほろほろになる。
Usage Note
How to Use
ほろほろ（と） + verb
Used with verbs to describe the action of falling, crumbling, or crying softly and gently.
ほろほろこぼれる
A very common set phrase meaning 'tears spill softly'.
ほろほろ散る
Used for flower petals or leaves falling and scattering gently.
ほろほろになる
Used to describe a state change where something becomes extremely tender or crumbly, most often applied to meat.
How to Use
Common Phrases
涙がほろほろこぼれる
tears spill out gently
桜がほろほろ散る
cherry blossoms scatter softly
肉がほろほろになる
meat becomes tender and falls apart
ほろほろと泣く
to weep quietly
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Falling drops or leaves | neutral | Gives a poetic, quiet, and sometimes melancholic nuance, like weeping without making a loud sound. |
| Food texture | positive | Indicates well-prepared food that is incredibly soft, tender, and easily comes off the bone. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ほろり ほろり / similar | Use horori for a single teardrop or a momentary burst of emotion (being touched). | ほろり focuses on an instantaneous tear or emotion, while ほろほろ implies a continuous, soft falling process. | ほろりと涙を流す |
ぼろぼろ ぼろぼろ / similar | Use boroboro for things that are worn-out, tattered, or crumbling violently and messily. | ボロボロ sounds messy, damaged, or rough, whereas ほろほろ sounds delicate, gentle, and often appetizing or poetic. | ボロボロに崩れる |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using ほろほろ for heavy objects falling.
This word is exclusively for light, delicate things like tears or petals. For heavy objects, use どしり (doshiri).
Using ほろほろ for rain.
Even light rain is naturally described with しとしと (shitoshito) or ぱらぱら (parapara), not ほろほろ.
Examples
Examples
彼女の目から涙がほろほろとこぼれた。
かのじょのめからなみだがほろほろとこぼれた。
Tears fell quietly from her eyes.
LiteralUsed to describe quiet, gentle weeping.
桜の花びらが風に吹かれてほろほろ散っていった。
さくらのはなびらがかぜにふかれてほろほろちっていった。
The cherry blossom petals scattered softly in the wind.
VisualDepicts a quiet, beautiful scene of light things falling.
何時間も煮込んだので、肉がほろほろになった。
なんじかんもにこんだので、にくがほろほろになった。
The meat became incredibly tender after being stewed for hours.
LiteralA very common phrase for slow-cooked meat.
このクッキーは口の中でほろほろと崩れる食感がたまらない。
このクッキーはくちのなかでほろほろとくずれるしょっかんがたまらない。
The crumbly texture of this cookie melting in the mouth is irresistible.
LiteralTypical way to describe crumbly, tender baked goods.
悲しい映画を見て、ほろほろと泣いてしまった。
かなしいえいがをみて、ほろほろとないてしまった。
I wept quietly while watching the sad movie.
LiteralEmphasizes shedding tears without sobbing loudly.
Similar Words
ほろり
horori
ほろり describes a gentle transition, such as being moved to shed a tear, becoming pleasantly tipsy, or the soft falling of light objects. Refers to a momentary, sudden emotion or a single tear, unlike the continuous action of horohoro.
ボロボロ
boroboro
Describes something that is severely worn out, objects crumbling or falling in large drops, or being physically and mentally exhausted. Contrasts with the gentle crumbling of horohoro; means violent, messy crumbling or raggedness.
Questions
Can I use ほろほろ to describe the weather?
Usually no. For quiet, light rain, you should use しとしと (shitoshito).
What is the difference between meat that is ほろほろ and やわらかい (yawarakai)?
Yawarakai just means soft. ほろほろ specifically means it is so tender that it easily flakes apart or comes off the bone.
Can ほろほろ describe worn-out clothes?
No, for worn-out or ragged things, use ボロボロ (boroboro).
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1011720
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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- ほろり (horori)