くちゃくちゃ

くちゃくちゃ
adverb, onomatopoeia
noisily (chewing); crumpled, messy
informalonomatopoeiadescriptive
1. noisily (chewing), with mouth open
The sound or manner of chewing food loudly with the mouth open.
くちゃくちゃ食(た)べないで。
Don't chew with your mouth open.
ガムをくちゃくちゃ噛(か)んでいる。
He's chewing gum noisily.
It bothers me that the person next to me eats making chewing noises.
2. crumpled, wrinkled, messy
The state of something being crumpled, wrinkled, or in disarray.
紙(かみ)がくちゃくちゃだ。
The paper is all crumpled up.
ポケットの中(なか)でレシートがくちゃくちゃになった。
The receipt got all crumpled up in my pocket.
I crumpled up the paper into a ball and threw it in the trash.

Usage

Sense 1 describes a sound considered rude in Japanese dining etiquette. Chewing with the mouth open (くちゃくちゃ食(た)べる) is a common pet peeve. A person who chews noisily may be called a くちゃらー (slang).

For sense 2, commonly used with になる (to become crumpled) or にする (to crumple up).

Similar words

  • くしゃくしゃ: crumpled — a near-synonym for sense 2, also used for messy hair and a face screwed up in a smile or tears

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