Entry
戛戛
katsukatsu
カツカツ is an onomatopoeia for a dry, sharp clicking or clopping sound, such as hard-soled shoes or animal hooves striking a hard surface.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This word is most commonly used to describe the distinct, echoing sound of high heels or leather shoes walking on a hard floor or pavement. It can also describe the clip-clop of a horse's hooves or the sharp tapping of a hard object like a cane against the ground.
- Hard-soled footsteps
- Clopping horse hooves
- Tapping of hard objects
Sense Map
Hard Shoes & Heels
The sharp clicking or clacking sound made by high heels or hard leather shoes hitting a hard floor.
ヒールでカツカツ歩く。
Hooves & Hard Objects
The dry clopping sound of a horse's hooves on pavement or the tapping of a hard object like a cane.
馬の蹄がカツカツ鳴る。
Usage Note
How to Use
カツカツ（と） + verb
Used with verbs to describe an action that continuously produces a sharp clicking or clopping sound.
カツカツ + 鳴らす
Means 'to make a clicking sound', usually done intentionally, such as deliberately striking one's heels while walking.
How to Use
Common Phrases
カツカツと歩く
to walk with a clicking sound
足音がカツカツと鳴る
footsteps echo with a clicking noise
ヒールをカツカツ鳴らす
to make one's heels click
カツカツと響く
to echo with a sharp clack
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Footsteps in a quiet space | neutral or tense | Emphasizes the hard impact, which can sometimes sound intimidating, strict, or overly formal. |
| Animal hooves on pavement | neutral | Describes the dry, clopping sound of hooves on paved roads, differing from the softer sound they make on dirt. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
こつこつ こつこつ / similar | For the steady footsteps of leather shoes, or for knocking on a door. | コツコツ is also widely used for 'steady, unflagging effort', whereas the sound context of カツカツ lacks this nuance. | ドアをコツコツ叩く。 |
かちかち かちかち / similar | For the light clinking of hard metal/glass, or the ticking of a clock. | Not used for the sound of footsteps striking a floor. | 時計がカチカチ鳴る。 |
ぽくぽく ぽくぽく / similar | For a slow, hollow clip-clop of a horse or hollow wooden blocks. | カツカツ sounds sharp and hard, while ぽくぽく is duller, rounder, and more relaxed. | 馬がぽくぽく歩く。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using カツカツ for soft footsteps like sneakers or slippers.
カツカツ requires hard materials. Soft-soled shoes do not make a カツカツ sound.
Assuming カツカツ only means a sound.
カツカツ is commonly used to mean 'barely surviving' financially or having very tight limits (e.g., 生活がカツカツ), which is a completely separate usage.
Examples
Examples
廊下をヒールでカツカツと歩く。
ろうかをヒールでカツカツとあるく。
Walking down the hallway with heels clicking.
LiteralHighlights the distinct sound of hard shoes on a floor.
アスファルトを歩く馬の蹄がカツカツと鳴る。
アスファルトをあるくうまのひづめがカツカツとなる。
The hooves of the horse walking on the asphalt clop.
LiteralUsed for the sharp clopping of horse hooves striking asphalt.
先生が教卓をカツカツと叩いて注意を引いた。
せんせいがきょうたくをカツカツとたたいてちゅういをひいた。
The teacher tapped the desk sharply to draw attention.
LiteralShows the sound of tapping with a hard object.
静かな部屋に革靴の音だけがカツカツと響いている。
しずかなへやにかわぐつのおとだけがカツカツとひびいている。
In the quiet room, only the sound of leather shoes is echoing sharply.
LiteralEmphasizes the echoing, dry sound of the footsteps.
お爺さんが杖をカツカツと突いて進む。
おじいさんがつえをカツカツとついてすすむ。
The old man walks forward, tapping his cane sharply on the ground.
LiteralThe sound of the cane's tip striking a hard surface.
Similar Words
ぽくぽく
pokupoku
A relaxed horse's clip-clop, duller and more hollow than katsukatsu.
コツコツ
kotsukotsu
コツコツ describes the sound of hard objects tapping gently, or the act of making steady, diligent progress step by step. Often used for leather shoe footsteps or steady tapping.
かちかち
kachikachi
A state of something hardening, being stiff from nervousness, or the continuous ticking sound of a clock. For metal, glass, or clock ticks, not footsteps.
Questions
Can I use カツカツ to describe someone walking in sneakers?
No, カツカツ implies a hard, clicking sound. For soft shoes like sneakers, it wouldn't sound natural.
What is the difference between カツカツ and コツコツ for footsteps?
Both describe hard footsteps, but カツカツ is often sharper and higher-pitched (like high heels), while コツコツ can be slightly more muffled or deliberate (like flat leather shoes).
I heard someone say their budget is カツカツ. Does it mean money makes a clicking sound?
No, that is a different, very common meaning of カツカツ, which translates to 'barely enough' or 'scraping by' (e.g., scraping by financially).
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2067800
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
- Previous entry
- ちまちま (chimachima)
- Next entry
- おめおめ (omeome)