カチカチ

かちかち
adverb, na-adjective, onomatopoeia
clicking; hard; stiff
descriptiveonomatopoeia
1. clicking sound
The sound of hard objects repeatedly clicking or tapping against each other.
マウスをカチカチ押(お)す。
To click the mouse repeatedly.
キーボードのカチカチという音(おと)が聞(き)こえる。
I can hear the clicking sound of a keyboard.
廊下(ろうか)でヒールがカチカチ鳴(な)っている。
Heels are clicking in the hallway.
2. hard; stiff; frozen
Describes something that has become very hard or stiff, often from cold or drying.
パンがカチカチに固(かた)くなった。
The bread became rock hard.
緊張(きんちょう)してカチカチになった。
I got stiff from nervousness.
冷凍庫(れいとうこ)に入(い)れておいたアイスがカチカチに凍(こお)って、スプーンが入(はい)らなかった。
The ice cream I left in the freezer froze rock solid, and I couldn't get the spoon in.

Usage

1. SOUND: Hard clicking noise (mouse, keyboard, heels on floor)
2. STATE: Being very hard, stiff, or frozen
Often written in katakana to emphasize the sound aspect, but hiragana is also common.

Common collocations

Related words

Related Words

Compare: がちがち (even harder/stiffer)
Related: カタカタ (clatter)
Compare: コチコチ (stiff)
general
Added 2026.1.16 18:41 · Revised 2026.10.7 9:23
05500/05719_kachikachi