PETTA-RI ぺったり
Meanings
1. Describes someone sinking down and sitting flat, as if their strength has left them.
2. Describes something thin lightly sticking flat across a surface.
3. Describes something as flat or flattened, almost as if stuck down.
Examples
When she heard that her husband had died, she sank down flat on the spot.
夫が死んだと聞いて、ぺったりとその場に座りこんだ。
My son is going through a phase of sticking stickers all over the house.
息子は家中にぺったりとシールを貼るのがブームだ。
I prefer flat shoes to high heels because they are easier to walk in.
ハイヒールよりも、ぺったりした靴の方が歩きやすくて好きだわ。
Dogmatic Opinion
Most of the object doing the sticking is in contact with the surface underneath it.
The image is planar rather than point-like.
Even sitting down fits: a substantial area of the buttocks and legs is now in contact with the floor.
At the same time, I do not imagine especially strong adhesive force. The object can usually be lifted or peeled away fairly easily, and little stickiness remains afterward.
A bottom on the floor, a flat shoe, and a removable sticker all share that broad, flat, relatively light contact.
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
Flat against, stuck flat, plastered flat, sit down flat, and flat-soled may fit. PETTA-RI emphasizes broad surface contact. Compared with BETTA-RI, it often feels lighter and less tenaciously sticky.
