だらだら

だらだら
adverb, verb (suru)
sluggishly, lazily, dripping
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentだらだらするだらだらしない
Present politeだらだらしますだらだらしません
Pastだらだらしただらだらしなかった
Past politeだらだらしましただらだらしませんでした
て formだらだらしてだらだらしなくて
ている presentだらだらしているだらだらしていない
ている politeだらだらしていますだらだらしていません
ている pastだらだらしていただらだらしていなかった
ている past politeだらだらしていましただらだらしていませんでした
Conditional ばだらだらすればだらだらしなければ
Conditional たらだらだらしたらだらだらしなかったら
Volitionalだらだらしよう
Volitional politeだらだらしましょう
Potentialだらだらできるだらだらできない
Passiveだらだらされるだらだらされない
Causativeだらだらさせるだらだらさせない
Imperativeだらだらしろだらだらするな
1. sluggishly, lazily
Acting or doing something slowly and without energy or motivation. Often implies wasting time.
だらだらしないで
Stop lazing around.
I ended up spending my day off lazing around.
The meeting dragged on endlessly.
I was lazily watching TV, and before I knew it, it was already night.
The talk dragged on and on, and I had no idea when it would end.
2. dripping, trickling
Liquid flowing continuously in a slow stream.
Sweat was dripping down.
Blood is trickling out continuously.
My nosebleed won't stop dripping.
It was hot and sweat started dripping down from my forehead.
After exercising, sweat was dripping down my back and my shirt got soaked.

だらだら is an onomatopoeic word with two main uses. The more common sense describes lazy, aimless, or drawn-out behavior, often with a negative connotation of wasting time. The second sense describes liquid dripping or trickling slowly and continuously.

COMMON PATTERNS (sense 1 — lazily):

COMMON PATTERNS (sense 2 — dripping):

CONTRAST:

  • きびきび: briskly, energetically (opposite of sense 1)
  • てきぱき: efficiently, promptly (opposite of sense 1)
  • ぽたぽた: drip-drip (drops falling one by one, vs. だらだら's continuous flow)