ぽつぽつ

ぽつぽつ
adverb, onomatopoeia
bit by bit; sparsely; in drops; here and there
descriptiveonomatopoeia
1. bit by bit; little by little; gradually
Describes something happening slowly, one piece at a time, often in an unhurried or leisurely manner.
ぽつぽつと話(はな)し始(はじ)めた。
They started talking little by little.
客(きゃく)がぽつぽつと集(あつ)まってきた。
Customers started gathering one by one.
彼(かれ)はぽつぽつと過去(かこ)のことを語(かた)り始(はじ)めた。
He slowly began to talk about the past, bit by bit.
夕方(ゆうがた)になると、ぽつぽつと屋台(やたい)が開(ひら)き始(はじ)める。
In the evening, food stalls start opening one by one.
2. sparsely; scattered; here and there
Describes things that are spread out with spaces between them, appearing intermittently.
白髪(しらが)がぽつぽつと出(で)てきた。
Gray hairs are starting to appear here and there.
道(みち)にぽつぽつと街灯(がいとう)が立(た)っている。
Streetlights stand scattered along the road.
空(そら)にぽつぽつと星(ほし)が見(み)え始(はじ)めた。
Stars started appearing here and there in the sky.
3. in drops; dripping
Describes rain or liquid falling in scattered drops.
雨(あめ)がぽつぽつと降(ふ)り始(はじ)めた。
Rain started falling in scattered drops.
窓(まど)にぽつぽつと雨粒(あまつぶ)が当(あ)たる音(おと)が聞(き)こえる。
I can hear the sound of raindrops hitting the window one by one.

Usage

ぽつぽつ(と) + verb

Sense 1 (bit by bit):

Sense 2 (sparse distribution):

Sense 3 (drops of rain or liquid):

Conveys a leisurely, unhurried pace with gaps between occurrences. Often suggests something is just beginning or is happening intermittently.

Similar words

  • ぽつりぽつり - a variant with much the same meaning
  • ちらほら - here and there, scattered (of things seen)
  • ぼちぼち - bit by bit; so-so (common in Kansai speech)

Related Words

Compare: ぽたぽた (slow individual drops)
Compare: ぼちぼち (bit by bit)
Compare: 点々(てんてん) (here and there)
Compare: しとしと (drizzling)
Compare: ざあざあ (pouring)
Compare: ぱらぱら (scattered)
general
Added 2026.1.18 13:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
06500/06683_potsupotsu