あっちこっち

noun, adverb

here and there; all over the place

1. here and there; all over; in every direction

Refers to many scattered places at once, or to moving between them. Casual in tone; it works both as an adverb of place and as a noun taking particles.

あっちこっち探(さが)した。

I looked all over the place.

部屋(へや)のあっちこっちに本(ほん)が置(お)いてある。

There are books lying around all over the room.

道(みち)に迷(まよ)って、あっちこっち歩(ある)き回(まわ)っているうちに日(ひ)が暮(く)れた。

I got lost, and while I was wandering around here and there the sun went down.

A casual doubling of あっち (over there) and こっち (over here). Note the order: Japanese says "there and here," the reverse of the English idiom.

Common patterns

あっちこっち探(さが)す: to search everywhere
あっちこっち行(い)く: to go all over
あっちこっちに: scattered in various places
あっちこっちから: from all directions

Register

あっちこっち is conversational. The neutral equivalent is あちこち, and 方々(ほうぼう) is the formal written form; use one of those in writing or polite speech.

Related Words

Synonym: あちこち

Compare: あちらこちら (here and there)

general

Added 2026.8.3 9:18 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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