ザクザク
ざくざく
adverb, onomatopoeia
crunchy; in abundance
1.
crunchily, with a rough crunch
The sound or sensation of cutting, chopping, or biting into something with a coarse, satisfying crunch.
キャベツをザクザク切る。
To chop cabbage roughly.
雪の上をザクザクと歩く。
To walk crunchily on the snow.
ザクザクした食感のクッキーが好きだ。
I like cookies with a crunchy texture.
2.
in large amounts, in abundance
Describes something existing or being produced in large, plentiful quantities.
ポイントがザクザク貯まる。
Points accumulate in heaps.
ザクザク稼ぐ。
To rake in money.
畑から野菜がザクザク採れる季節になった。
It's the season when vegetables can be harvested in abundance from the field.
RELATED ONOMATOPOEIA:
- サクサク: lighter, crisper crunch (thin cookies, pastry); also means "smoothly" for work
- ザクザク: heavier, coarser crunch (thick cuts, gravel, snow)
The voiced ザ vs unvoiced サ reflects the weight of the sound — ザクザク implies something rougher and heavier than サクサク.
USAGE:
Sense 1 is commonly used for chopping vegetables into rough chunks, walking on gravel or snow, and describing the texture of certain foods.
Sense 2 often appears in advertising and casual speech to emphasize abundance, especially with money or rewards.