〜ずくめ (~zukume) — nothing but ~ / ~ from head to toe
One thing and nothing else all around — black clothes, rules everywhere, or nothing but good news.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
At your new job the pay went up, it's ten minutes from home, and the boss is kind. You tell a friend 「いいことずくめだよ」— 'it's nothing but good things.'
Meaning
「〜ずくめ」says that all around, from start to finish, there is only N and nothing else.
How to attach
- Attach it as N + ずくめ; then 「ずくめの + N」(黒ずくめの男) or 「ずくめだ」.
- Typical words: colours of clothing (黒ずくめ・白ずくめ), and events or situations (いいことずくめ・ごちそうずくめ・規則ずくめ・異例ずくめ).
Versus what you know
N3「〜だらけ」(ゴミだらけ・間違いだらけ) also means 'lots', but its picture is bad things scattered here and there; ずくめ is the whole thing covered by one single N — and it works for good or bad.
Watch out
- The key rule: it is not for dirt that sticks to a body or object, like dust or mud — not 「ほこりずくめ」but 「ほこりだらけ」or 「ほこりまみれ」
- And for black clothes it is never 「黒だらけ」, always 「黒ずくめ」.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
防犯カメラには、黒ずくめの服を着た男が映っていた。
ぼうはんカメラには、くろずくめのふくをきたおとこがうつっていた。
The security camera showed a man dressed all in black.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 黒 = black → 「ずくめ」= black all over, nothing else → 「の」 → 服 = clothes → everything black from hat to shoes → news style.
新しい職場は給料も上がり、家からも近くて、いいことずくめだ。
あたらしいしょくばはきゅうりょうもあがり、いえからもちかくて、いいことずくめだ。
At my new workplace the pay went up and it's close to home — there's nothing but good about it.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 給料も上がり、家からも近い = two good things → いいこと = good things → 「ずくめ」= only good things, nothing bad → 「だ」 ends the sentence.
会社の寮は規則ずくめで、夜十時を過ぎると外出もできない。
かいしゃのりょうはきそくずくめで、よるじゅうじをすぎるとがいしゅつもできない。
The company dorm is all rules — after 10 p.m. you can't even go out.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 規則 = rules → 「ずくめ」= rules wherever you look → 「で」 links the reason → 外出もできない = can't even go out.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「今年は結婚に昇進に、いいこと＿＿一年だった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: A noun (一年) follows.
N + ずくめ + の + N. いいことずくめの一年 = a year of nothing but good things. ずくめ behaves like a noun, so it takes 「の」, not 「な」.
In which sentence is 「ずくめ」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Dust is dirt that sticks to things.
ずくめ isn't used for clinging dirt like dust or mud. Say 「ほこりだらけ」or 「ほこりまみれ」. For colours, rules and food, ずくめ is fine.
「その男は、上から下まで＿＿の服装だった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Clothes all in one colour.
黒ずくめ = black from head to toe. 「だらけ」is bad things scattered about, 「まみれ」is being smeared with dirt, 「ぐるみ」is a group acting together — none works for a colour.
Your score: /3