泥
doro[do̞ɾo̞]
The English word "mud" is translated into Japanese as 泥 (doro).
泥 refers to a mixture of soil and water.
Meaning: mixture of soil and water (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the colloquial suffix -mamire to create 泥まみれ means being covered in mud, which often implies a more messy or intense state than using the suffix -darake.
How do you pronounce it?
doro
Did you know?
- The term 泥酔 combines 'mud' and 'drunk' to describe someone who is so intoxicated they are essentially 'mud-drunk' or completely wasted.
- In Japanese, 泥 is used in the phrase 泥を塗る meaning 'to smear mud', which refers to bringing shame or dishonor to someone.
- The phrase 泥臭い literally means 'smelling of mud', but it is often used to describe someone who is unrefined, earthy or possesses a gritty, hardworking spirit.
Examples in context
- 彼は泥だらけだった。He was covered with mud.This sentence is useful for describing someone being covered with 泥.Tatoeba #101972 by bunbuku, translation #301723 by CK
- 彼は全身泥まみれだった。He was covered with mud from head to foot.This sentence is useful for describing someone being covered in 泥 from head to foot.Tatoeba #102921 by bunbuku, translation #300772 by CK
- 彼の手は泥だらけだった。His hands were covered with mud.This sentence is useful for describing hands being covered with 泥.Tatoeba #117043 by small_snow, translation #286623 by CK
- 雨が降ると、道は泥だらけになります。When it rains, the road becomes covered in mud.
- 昨日雨で道がドロドロになったよ！The road became muddy from the rain yesterday!
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman sees a man coming home after playing in the rain.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、服に泥がついているよ。Ren-kun, fuku ni doro ga tsuite iru yo.Ren, there is mud on your clothes.
- 蓮 Renああ、道が泥でベチャベチャだった。Aa, michi ga doro de becha becha datta.Ah, the road was all muddy and slushy.
- 陽葵 Himariさあ、早くお風呂に入って。Saa, hayaku ofuro ni haitte.Come on, go take a bath quickly.
- 蓮 Renわかった、すぐに行くよ。Wakatta, sugu ni iku yo.Okay, I'll go right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mud” translations and entries 泥, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
