カチカチ

かちかち
adverb, na-adjective, onomatopoeia
clicking; hard; stiff
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.

DUAL USAGE:
1. SOUND: Hard clicking noise (mouse, keyboard, heels on floor)
2. STATE: Being very hard, stiff, or frozen

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

NUANCE:
Often written in katakana to emphasize the sound aspect, but hiragana is also common.

RELATED WORDS:

  • ガチガチ: even harder/stiffer (stronger emphasis)
  • コチコチ: stiff (especially from cold or tension)

Related Words

Contrast: がちがち (even harder/stiffer)
general
Added 2026.1.16 18:41 · Revised 2026.6.8 6:09
05500/05719_kachikachi