チャラい
ちゃらい
i-adjective
flashy; frivolous; superficial
1.
flashy; gaudy; showy
Describing an appearance or style that is overly flashy or attention-seeking.
チャラい服だね。
Those are flashy clothes.
チャラい髪型にした。
I got a flashy hairstyle.
あのアクセサリーはちょっとチャラい。
Those accessories are a bit gaudy.
2.
frivolous; superficial; flaky
Describing a person who seems shallow, unreliable, or overly focused on having fun and flirting.
チャラい男は嫌いだ。
I don't like frivolous guys.
彼はチャラく見えるけど真面目だ。
He looks superficial but he's actually serious.
チャラい態度を取るのはやめて。
Stop acting so frivolous.
チャラい comes from チャラチャラ, an onomatopoeia for jingling sounds (like cheap accessories) or frivolous behavior.
REGISTER:
This is casual slang, often used critically. It's not appropriate for formal contexts.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- チャラい男/チャラ男: a frivolous/flashy guy
- チャラく見える: to look frivolous/flashy
CONJUGATION:
As an i-adjective: チャラくない (negative), チャラかった (past), チャラく (adverb form).