くたくた
くたくた
adverb
exhausted; worn out; limp
1.
exhausted; worn out
Describes being extremely tired or fatigued, completely drained of energy.
仕事でくたくたに疲れた。
I'm completely exhausted from work.
マラソンの後、体がくたくただ。
My body is worn out after the marathon.
一日中歩いて、くたくたになって家に帰った。
I walked all day and came home completely exhausted.
2.
limp; soft and wilted
Describes something that has become soft and limp, like overcooked vegetables.
野菜をくたくたに煮る。
To cook vegetables until soft and limp.
大根をくたくたになるまで煮込んだ。
I simmered the daikon until it was completely soft.
ほうれん草をくたくたに茹でてしまったので、食感がなくなった。
I boiled the spinach until it went limp, so it lost its texture.
くたくた is a 擬態語 (mimetic word) with two related meanings: exhaustion and limpness/softness from overcooking.
MEANING 1 — EXHAUSTION:
- くたくたに疲れる: to be completely exhausted
- くたくたになる: to become worn out
- 仕事でくたくただ: I'm dead tired from work
MEANING 2 — OVERCOOKED/LIMP:
- くたくたに煮る: to simmer until very soft
- 野菜がくたくたになるまで煮込む: to stew vegetables until they're soft
SIMILAR WORDS (exhaustion):
- へとへと: exhausted (emphasizes physical fatigue)
- ぐったり: limp, drained (more complete collapse)
- ぐだぐだ: sluggish, sloppy (less about tiredness, more about being unmotivated)
- くたびれる: to be tired, worn out (verb form, slightly literary)