USSU-RI うっすり
Meanings
Describes something being only slightly thick, faint in color, or present in a very thin layer.
Examples
・A thin layer of snow has settled on the ground.
うっすりと雪が積もっている。
Dogmatic Opinion
In modern Japanese, USSU-RA (うっすら) is far more common, while USSU-RI is relatively rare. If USSU-RI is used, it may put slightly more emphasis on physical thinness.
If I were a master craftsman making ultra-thin drinking glasses and an apprentice kept making them too thick, I might tell the apprentice, “Make it more USSU-RI”—in other words, make it thinner. I would not naturally say “Make it more USSU-RA” in that situation.
Proximate Expression
thin
pale
wispy
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
USSU-RI may correspond to thinly, faintly, or slightly depending on context, but learners should know that USSU-RA (うっすら) is much more common in everyday Japanese. For snow, color, light, or a faint trace of something, USSU-RA will often be the form you encounter.
