Translation guide
The English word 'dripping' can refer to liquid falling in drops, being very wet, or the fat from cooked meat. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
Describing liquid that is dripping or falling drop by drop.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to drip' or 'to trickle down'. Used for liquids slowly falling in drops.
Describing something that is so wet that liquid is dripping from it.
Referring to the fat that drips from meat during cooking, often used in British English.
滴る (shitataru) is specifically for liquid dripping in drops, often with a sense of trickling. 垂れる (tareru) can also mean 'to hang down' and is used for thicker substances or when something dangles and drips. For water dripping from a faucet, 滴る is more precise, but 垂れる is also possible.
While 汗が滴る is correct for literal sweat dripping, the English phrase 'dripping with sweat' as an exaggeration might be better expressed with 汗だく (covered in sweat) or 汗びっしょり (soaked with sweat).
Sweat is dripping from my forehead.
雨水が屋根から滴る。
Rainwater drips from the roof.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to hang down' or 'to drip'. Often used for thicker liquids or when something hangs and drips.
ろうそくのろうが垂れている。
Wax is dripping from the candle.
Onomatopoeic phrase for the sound or action of dripping, often used for water or light liquids.
蛇口から水がぽたぽた落ちている。
Water is dripping from the faucet.
Na-adjective meaning 'soaking wet' or 'dripping wet'. Commonly used for clothes, hair, or objects.
雨で服がびしょびしょになった。
My clothes got dripping wet from the rain.
Noun/na-adjective meaning 'drenched' or 'soaked to the skin'. Stronger than びしょびしょ.
彼はずぶ濡れで帰ってきた。
He came home dripping wet.
Literally 'to the extent that water drips'. Used to emphasize extreme wetness.
水が滴るほど濡れたタオル。
A towel so wet it's dripping.
Meat juices or drippings, often used for the liquid that comes out during cooking.
ローストビーフの肉汁でグレービーソースを作る。
Make gravy from the roast beef drippings.
Fat or grease. Can refer to solid or liquid fat from meat.
ベーコンから出た脂で野菜を炒める。
Fry vegetables in the drippings from the bacon.