1.
in scattered drops; one by one; here and there
Describes things falling or appearing singly at intervals — the first drops of rain, people arriving a few at a time, lights dotted across a dark landscape.
2.
haltingly; bit by bit (of speaking)
Describes speech that comes out slowly in short bursts with pauses between, typically because the speaker is reluctant, tired, or choosing words with care.
A mimetic adverb, almost always used with と. It is a variant of ぽつぽつ built on ぽつり, and carries a slower, more spaced-out feeling: each drop, person, or phrase is separated by a noticeable gap.
Common collocations
- ぽつりぽつりと降る: to fall in scattered drops
- ぽつりぽつりと話す: to talk haltingly
- ぽつりぽつりと集まる: to gather a few at a time