POTTE-RI ぽってり
Meanings
Describes something pleasantly plump, full, rounded, or thick, sometimes with an attractive sense of weight or substance.
Examples
full, plump lips
あの女優のぽってりした唇はセクシーだ。
Dogmatic Opinion
In contemporary Japanese, POTTE-RI is used less for a generally well-fleshed body and more often as a positive description of a woman’s full, thick lips. Think of the image associated with Satomi Ishihara or Betty Boop.
In nuance, POTTE-RI feels closer to PUKKU-RI than to body-shape words such as POCCHA-RI or FUKKURA. The difference between PUKKU-RI lips and POTTE-RI lips is difficult to put into words. To me, PUKKU-RI feels somewhat more objective, while POTTE-RI lips can sound more mature and sensual. I would hesitate to describe a young girl’s lips as POTTE-RI.
The word can also be used for lips, vessels, shapes, and other forms where rounded thickness and a certain visual weight are aesthetically noticeable.
Proximate Expression
plump
puffy
chubby
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
Depending on the noun, full, plump, thick, rounded, or substantial may work. For lips, full or plump is usually more natural than chubby. POTTE-RI can be complimentary, and it may carry a richer, weightier, or more mature aesthetic impression than PUKKU-RI.
