Entry
ぱらぱら
parapara
Describes light scattered drops of rain, the quick sound of flipping through pages, or a loose, non-sticky texture like perfect fried rice.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
The word parapara encompasses several distinct visual and auditory concepts. First, it describes light, small objects falling sparsely, like a light drizzle of rain or sprinkling salt. Second, it mimics the sound of swiftly flipping through the pages of a book or magazine. Third, it describes a dry, loose, and non-sticky texture, which is widely considered the ideal state for Japanese-style fried rice. Finally, it can describe things occurring sporadically or people arriving in sparse, scattered numbers.
- Light rain or sprinkling
- Flipping pages swiftly
- Loose, non-sticky texture
- Scattered or sporadic
Sense Map
Rain & Sprinkling
Falling lightly and sparsely, such as the first drops of rain or sprinkling a pinch of salt.
雨がぱらぱら降る
Flipping Pages
The action of leafing through a book or magazine quickly without reading closely.
雑誌をぱらぱらめくる
Loose Texture
A state where grains are separated and not sticking together, highly praised when talking about fried rice.
ぱらぱらのチャーハン
Sporadic & Sparse
People or things arriving or appearing a few at a time, rather than in a large, unified group.
人がぱらぱら集まる
Usage Note
How to Use
ぱらぱらと降る
ぱらぱらとめくる
ぱらぱらの名詞
ぱらぱらになる
Means to become loose, to break apart into grains, or to lose stickiness.
How to Use
Common Phrases
雨がぱらぱらと降る
rain is falling lightly
本をぱらぱらとめくる
flip quickly through a book
ぱらぱらのチャーハン
loose, perfectly separated fried rice
塩をぱらぱらと振る
sprinkle salt lightly
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Neutral | Indicates rain that has just started or is very light, not requiring a heavy umbrella. |
| Cooking | Positive | A highly desirable trait for fried rice, showing the oil coated each grain perfectly. |
| Attendance | Neutral to Negative | Implies a sparse turnout, with people trickling in slowly rather than arriving in a lively crowd. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ざあざあ ざあざあ / opposite | Use zaazaa for pouring, heavy rain. | Parapara is only for light sprinkling rain where you can almost feel individual drops. | 雨がざあざあ降る |
べたべた べたべた / opposite | Use betabeta for things that are wet, sticky, or adhering together. | Parapara is the direct opposite when describing food texture, meaning dry, loose, and cleanly separated. | ベタベタのご飯 |
ばらばら ばらばら / similar | Use barabara when a whole breaks into separate pieces, or when things are completely disorganized. | Parapara focuses on small grains or drops being scattered, while barabara emphasizes lack of unity, destruction, or chaos. | 家族がバラバラになる |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using parapara for a heavy downpour.
Heavy rain is zaazaa. Parapara is specifically a very light, sparse rain.
Thinking parapara rice means undercooked rice.
For fried rice (chahan), parapara is a highly positive term meaning the grains do not stick together; it implies good cooking technique.
Examples
Examples
雨がぱらぱらと降ってきた。
あめがぱらぱらとふってきた。
Rain started falling lightly.
VisualDescribes light raindrops at the beginning of a shower.
待合室で雑誌をぱらぱらとめくった。
まちあいしつでざっしをぱらぱらとめくった。
I flipped through a magazine in the waiting room.
VisualFocuses on the sound and action of quickly turning pages without deep reading.
このお店のチャーハンはぱらぱらでおいしい。
このおみせのチャーハンはぱらぱらでおいしい。
The fried rice at this restaurant is delicious and perfectly loose.
LiteralHighlights the ideal texture of the rice: individual grains separated and not clumpy.
料理に塩をぱらぱらと振る。
りょうりにしおをぱらぱらとふる。
Sprinkle salt lightly over the dish.
LiteralImplies spreading small particles thinly and evenly.
参加者がぱらぱらと集まり始めた。
さんかしゃがぱらぱらとあつまりはじめた。
Participants began to gather sporadically.
FigurativeFigurative use for people arriving sparsely, not in one large group.
Similar Words
ざあざあ
zaazaa
Used for pouring, heavy rain.
バラバラ
barabara
Describes a state of being scattered, broken into separate pieces, or lacking unity among a group. Used when things fall apart or lose unity.
ベタベタ
betabeta
Describes something physically sticky, the act of pasting things all over, couples clinging or flirting, or something highly cliché and predictable. Used for wet, sticky things.
ザーザー
zaazaa
The continuous sound of heavy rain pouring down, forcefully rushing water, or white noise from an electronic device.
Questions
Can I use parapara for snowing?
Snow typically uses hira-hira (fluttering) or shin-shin (falling quietly). Parapara implies a slight tapping sound or weight, more suited for rain, hail, or salt.
Does parapara mean speaking fluently?
No, speaking fluently is perapera (ぺらぺら). Parapara is for flipping pages or scattered drops.
Is parapara good for plain white rice?
No, Japanese people generally prefer plain white rice to be somewhat sticky and chewy (mochi-mochi). Parapara is considered a positive texture mainly for fried rice or specific international dishes.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1102580
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- Needs review
- Active language
- English
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