Entry
ピッカリン
pikkarin
A child-directed term meaning to eat everything on one's plate until it is perfectly clean.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
A playful expression used primarily by parents or caregivers to encourage children to finish their food so their plate becomes completely empty and 'shiny'.
- Eating every last bite
- Child-directed encouragement
Sense Map
Finishing Food
The act of eating everything so nothing is left on the plate.
お皿をピッカリンする。
Encouragement
Used as a cheerful prompt for children to eat.
ぜんぶピッカリンしようね。
Usage Note
How to Use
ピッカリンする
Used as a suru-verb to express the action of finishing one's food.
ピッカリンした + noun
Used to describe a noun, like a plate that has been cleared of food (ピッカリンしたお皿).
ピッカリンして
The te-form, often used when gently requesting or prompting someone to finish their food.
How to Use
Common Phrases
ピッカリンする
to eat everything up
お皿をピッカリンする
to finish the plate cleanly
ぜんぶピッカリン
finishing everything
ピッカリンしてね
eat it all up, okay?
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Encouraging a child | positive | Said with a cheerful tone to motivate the child. |
| Praising a child | positive | Expressed with pride when a child has successfully finished their meal. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ぺろり ぺろり / similar | Used when the focus is on how quickly or easily the food was eaten. | Does not emphasize the visual of a shiny clean plate, but rather the smooth process of eating. Can be used by and for adults. | ご飯をぺろりと食べる |
ぴかぴか ぴかぴか / similar | Used for anything that is shiny, sparkling, or freshly cleaned. | Not specifically tied to the act of finishing a meal, even though it is the root word for ピッカリン. | ピカピカのお皿 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using this word with adults or in formal settings.
Use more standard terms like 完食する (kanshoku suru) or 全部食べる (zenbu taberu) for adults.
Using it to mean cleaning a room.
Use ピカピカ (pikapika) for cleaning objects or rooms; ピッカリン is strictly for clearing food off a plate.
Examples
Examples
ご飯をぜんぶ食べて、お皿がピッカリンになったね。
ごはんをぜんぶたべて、おさらがピッカリンになったね。
You ate everything, your plate is nice and shiny clean.
VisualFocuses on the visual result of the plate becoming clean without any leftovers.
嫌いな野菜もがんばってピッカリンしようね。
きらいなやさいもがんばってピッカリンしようね。
Let's do our best and eat all the vegetables you don't like, too.
LiteralUsed as a positive encouragement for a child to eat something they might not like.
ぼく、今日の給食をいちばんにピッカリンしたよ！
ぼく、きょうのきゅうしょくをいちばんにピッカリンしたよ！
I was the first to finish all my school lunch today!
LiteralShows a child's pride after successfully eating all their food.
あの大きなケーキをあっという間にピッカリンしてしまった。
あのおおきなケーキをあっというまにピッカリンしてしまった。
That huge cake was eaten up completely in no time.
LiteralDescribes the act of quickly eating a large portion of food until nothing is left.
きれいにピッカリンできたら、外で遊ぼうね。
きれいにピッカリンできたら、そとであそぼうね。
If you eat everything up cleanly, we can go play outside.
LiteralUsed as a condition to motivate a child to finish their meal.
Similar Words
ピカピカ
pikapika
ピカピカ describes something that is shiny, spotlessly clean, or brand new. The root word of pikkarin. Describes a shiny, clean state for objects in general.
ペロリ
perori
Describes completing an action swiftly and easily, such as eating an entire meal quickly or peeling something off cleanly. Also means to finish food, but focuses more on how quickly or smoothly the food goes down, often because it's tasty.
ぺろっと
perotto
ぺろっと describes doing something swiftly and completely, such as gobbling up food, briefly sticking out a tongue, or peeling a sticker off cleanly.
Questions
Can I use this word with my peers?
It is not recommended. This is a child-directed word that sounds very childish if used among adults.
Does this imply the food was delicious?
Not necessarily. It focuses on the result of the plate being empty and clean, though finishing food often implies it was liked.
What is the difference between this and ピカピカ?
ピカピカ means shiny in general (like floors or shoes), while ピッカリン is uniquely applied to finishing food so the plate is clean.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2851454
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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