Meaning and Usage
The adverb どっと expresses a sudden, large-scale or intense occurrence, often involving a group or a strong emotional or physical reaction. It is commonly used to describe sudden bursts of activity, emotion, or changes in state.
Common Contexts
You will often hear どっと in contexts like crowds reacting suddenly (e.g., applause, laughter), people moving all at once (e.g., rushing into a place), or sudden physical or emotional effects (e.g., fatigue, laughter).
Collocations and Patterns
- どっと + 動詞 (e.g., どっと泣く, どっと笑う): to suddenly start doing something intensely
- どっと + 人が + 動詞 (e.g., どっと人が押し寄せる): a crowd suddenly surges
- どっと + 感情や疲れが出る: sudden onset of feelings or tiredness
Register and Nuance
どっと is informal to neutral and often used in spoken Japanese or narrative writing. It conveys immediacy and intensity but is not typically used in very formal contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse どっと with いきなり or 突然, which also mean "suddenly." However, どっと emphasizes a sudden mass or intense reaction, often collective or overwhelming, rather than just a simple sudden event. Use どっと when you want to highlight the scale or force of the suddenness.