〜ずくめ
zukume
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
entirely …; nothing but …; full of …
Nずくめ means something is made up entirely of N or is full of N from beginning to end: いいことずくめ "nothing but good things", 黒ずくめ "all in black". It works with a small set of nouns and is usually positive or neutral, unlike だらけ and まみれ.
Both registers: conversation, magazines, blogs, news headlines. Common with colours (黒ずくめ), good things (いいことずくめ), feasts (ごちそうずくめ) and rules (規則ずくめ).
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
Noun + ずくめ (+ の + Noun / + だ / + で)Set nouns: いいこと, 黒, 白, ごちそう, 規則, 結構, 幸せ, 異例
Visual diagram
| Aspect | what it covers | evaluation | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ずくめ | everything is N, through and through | positive or neutral | いいことずくめの一年 |
| 〜だらけ | many undesirable things | negative | 間違いだらけの答案 |
| 〜まみれ | surface coated with a dirty substance | negative | 泥まみれの靴 |
Natural examples
今年はいいことずくめの一年だった。
ことしはいいことずくめのいちねんだった。
This year was full of good things.
The most common positive use: a year full of good things.
黒ずくめの服装の男が店に入ってきた。
くろずくめのふくそうのおとこがみせにはいってきた。
A man dressed entirely in black came into the shop.
Colour + ずくめ: an outfit entirely in black.
彼女の毎日は規則ずくめで息が詰まりそうだ。
かのじょのまいにちはきそくずくめでいきがつまりそうだ。
Her days are so full of rules that she feels suffocated.
規則ずくめ: a negative feeling created by the context, not by ずくめ itself.
結婚に昇進にと、今年は彼にとって幸せずくめの一年だった。
けっこんにしょうしんにと、ことしはかれにとってしあわせずくめのいちねんだった。
With his marriage and promotion, this was a year full of happiness for him.
幸せずくめ: a set collocation.
今回の人事は異例ずくめだった。
こんかいのじんじはいれいずくめだった。
This round of personnel changes was unprecedented in every respect.
News style: 異例ずくめ (nothing but exceptions).
Similar grammar and the difference
Many undesirable things (ゴミだらけ). ずくめ is not negative in itself. Compare side by side
Coated in a dirty substance (血まみれ, 汗まみれ). Physical only. Compare side by side
"Involving the whole of N" (家族ぐるみ, 町ぐるみ): totality of participants, not of contents. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 泥ずくめの靴
- ✓
- 泥まみれの靴
- Why
- A dirty coating takes まみれ.
- ✗
- 間違いずくめの答案
- ✓
- 間違いだらけの答案
- Why
- Many mistakes take だらけ, since the evaluation is negative.
- ✗
- 楽しいずくめの旅行
- ✓
- 楽しいことずくめの旅行
- Why
- ずくめ attaches to nouns; turn the adjective into a noun phrase (楽しいこと).
The noun set is limited; do not invent new combinations freely. Before a noun use の: いいことずくめの一年. Sentence end: 〜ずくめだ / ずくめで(大変だ).
JLPT N1 tips
On the exam
- If the noun is 黒 / いいこと / ごちそう / 規則 / 異例, the answer is ずくめ; if the noun is dirt (泥, 血) it is まみれ; if it is faults (間違い, 傷) it is だらけ.
- Check the evaluation of the sentence: a happy or neutral tone rules out だらけ / まみれ.
- In vocabulary-style grammar questions, ずくめ may be tested with 黒ずくめの男 in reading passages as well.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜ずくめ mean?
entirely …; nothing but …; full of …. Nずくめ means something is made up entirely of N or is full of N from beginning to end: いいことずくめ "nothing but good things", 黒ずくめ "all in black". It works with a small set of nouns and is usually positive or neutral, unlike だらけ and まみれ.
How do you form 〜ずくめ?
Noun + ずくめ (+ の + Noun / + だ / + で) / Set nouns: いいこと, 黒, 白, ごちそう, 規則, 結構, 幸せ, 異例. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜ずくめ used?
Both registers: conversation, magazines, blogs, news headlines. Common with colours (黒ずくめ), good things (いいことずくめ), feasts (ごちそうずくめ) and rules (規則ずくめ).
What is the difference between 〜ずくめ and 〜だらけ?
Many undesirable things (ゴミだらけ). ずくめ is not negative in itself.
What is the difference between 〜ずくめ and 〜まみれ?
Coated in a dirty substance (血まみれ, 汗まみれ). Physical only.
What is a common mistake with 〜ずくめ?
Wrong: 泥ずくめの靴 Right: 泥まみれの靴 A dirty coating takes まみれ.
Quick check
今年は結婚も昇進もあって、いいこと（ ）の一年だった。