1.
drop; droplet; drip
A small, rounded amount of liquid, such as a raindrop, teardrop, or dewdrop. Evokes a poetic, somewhat literary image.
雨の滴が落ちる。
Raindrops fall.
葉っぱから滴がぽたりと落ちた。
A drop fell from a leaf with a plop.
朝露の滴が花びらの上で光っていた。
Droplets of morning dew were glistening on the petals.
滴 refers to a single drop of liquid — water, rain, tears, dew, etc. A somewhat literary and poetic word.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 雨の滴: raindrop
- 涙の滴: teardrop
- 露の滴: dewdrop
- 滴が落ちる: a drop falls
- 滴が垂れる: a drop drips
WRITING:
Often written in hiragana (しずく) rather than the kanji 滴, especially in casual and literary contexts.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 滴: a drop (poetic, literary)
- 水滴: water drop (more technical/neutral)
- 一滴: a single drop (emphasis on small quantity)
NOTE:
A popular Japanese name for girls (しずく), evoking purity and nature.