べたべた
べたべた
adverb
sticky; clingy
1.
sticky; gooey
Describes a surface or substance that is unpleasantly sticky.
手が飴でべたべたする。
My hands are sticky from candy.
汗で肌がべたべたしている。
My skin is sticky from sweat.
夏は汗で体がべたべたして気持ち悪い。
In summer, the sweat makes your body feel unpleasantly sticky.
2.
clingy; overly affectionate
Describes behavior that is excessively close or touchy, often in a way that bothers others.
カップルがべたべたしている。
The couple is being all clingy with each other.
Can have a slightly critical nuance
子どもが親にべたべた甘えている。
The child is clinging to their parent affectionately.
人前でべたべたするのはやめてほしい。
I wish they'd stop being so touchy-feely in public.
べたべた is an onomatopoeic word (擬態語) with two distinct meanings: physical stickiness and interpersonal clinginess. Both carry a negative or annoying connotation.
SENSE 1 — STICKY:
Describes unpleasant stickiness from sweat, candy, humidity, etc.
- 手がべたべたする: hands are sticky
- 汗でべたべた: sticky with sweat
SENSE 2 — CLINGY:
Describes overly affectionate or touchy behavior, often with a critical tone.
- べたべた甘える: to cling and act spoiled
- べたべた触る: to keep touching (annoyingly)
- カップルがべたべたする: couple is being overly affectionate
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ねばねば: sticky and stretchy (like natto or okra — neutral or positive)
- ぬるぬる: slimy, slippery (like a wet surface)
- べたべた specifically implies unpleasantness, unlike ねばねば which can be neutral