〜だらけ
Covered in 〜だらけ
Meaning
"Covered in ~", "full of ~" — an unpleasant abundance.
Formation
[noun] + だらけ
Notes
Always negative and always a noun: 泥だらけ, 間違いだらけ, 借金だらけ. Unlike 〜ばかり it does not mean "only" — it means the thing is all over the place. It cannot take a verb.
Examples
子供（こども）が泥（どろ）だらけになって帰（かえ）ってきた。
The children came home covered in mud.
Breakdown
この作文（さくぶん）は間違（まちが）いだらけです。
This composition is full of mistakes.
Breakdown
部屋（へや）がほこりだらけでした。
The room was covered in dust.
Breakdown
転（ころ）んで傷（きず）だらけになりました。
I fell over and ended up covered in cuts.
Breakdown
机（つくえ）の上（うえ）は書類（しょるい）だらけです。
The desk is buried in documents.
Breakdown
⚠️ Often confused with
〜しか〜ない
Only 〜しか〜ない
"Only ~" — expresses limitation, with a nuance of "nothing but / not enough". MUST be used...
〜だけ
Only / just だけ
"Only / just ~" — neutral limitation. Unlike しか, だけ goes with an AFFIRMATIVE verb and...
[数量]＋も / [数量]＋しか〜ない
Quantity + も / しか
Colours a quantity as large (も, "as many as") or small (しか〜ない, "only").
〜てばかりいる
Do nothing but 〜てばかりいる
Criticises a repeated action — "does nothing but ~", "is always ~ing".
〜きり
Ever since / only 〜きり
Two uses: "and that was the last of it" after a past verb, and "just / only" after a noun.
〜なんて
Something like (belittling) 〜なんて
Dismisses or belittles — "something like ~", "the very idea of ~". Can also express surpri...
〜限り（は）
As long as 〜限り（は）
"As long as ~", "as far as ~" — the condition under which the statement holds.
〜ない限り
Unless / so long as not 〜ない限り
"Unless ~", "so long as ~ does not happen".
〜に限らず
Not limited to 〜に限らず
"Not just ~", "not limited to ~".
〜に限って
Of all times 〜に限って
"Of all times / of all people ~"; also "~ alone would never".
〜に限る
Nothing beats 〜に限る
"Nothing beats ~", "~ is the best thing".
〜をもって
As of (formal) 〜をもって
"As of ~", "with ~", "by means of ~" — a formal boundary or instrument.
〜に至るまで
Extending even to 〜に至るまで
"Extending all the way to ~", "down to even ~" — the range reaches an extreme.