さっぱり

Japanese

Alternative spelling
薩張 (obsolete, rare)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さっぱり [sàppáꜜrì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [sa̠p̚pa̠ɾʲi]

Adverb

さっぱり • (sappari) 

1. refreshed; relieved

   気(き)がさっぱりした

   ki ga sappari shita

   feeling refreshed

2. clear; clean; neat; trim

   さっぱり(と)した身(み)なり

   sappari (to) shita minari

   dressed neatly

3. plain; light
4. entirely; (with negative) at all

   さっぱり分(わか)らない

   sappari wakaranai

   having no idea of

   • 1915 September 8, 旭新聞 (Asahi Shinbun) [The Asahi News], number 3240, page 1:

     […] 日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)も英(えい)語(ご)も却(なか)々(なか)うまいが琉(りう)球(きう)語(ご)と來(き)ては薩(さつ)張(ぱり)駄(だ)目(め)

     […] Nihongo mo Eigo mo nakanaka umai ga Ryūkyūgo to kite wa sappari dame

     […] He speaks Japanese and English well, but when it comes to Ryukyuan, he cannot speak a word of it.

5. (concluding a sentence) completely not good, useless, etc.

   売上(うりあげ)がさっぱりだ

   uriage ga sappari da

   it doesn't sell well

Usage notes

Takes the と particle as an adverb, and 〜する as a verb.