Japanese symbol for “frightened”

In Japanese, frightened is カチカチ (kachikachi).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

1. adv, adv-to ticktock
2. adv, adv-to chinking (e.g. of a hammer against rock); knocking; clicking; clacking; clattering
3. adj-na, adj-no dry and hard; (frozen) stiff
4. adj-na, adj-no hidebound; die-hard; stubborn; obstinate; bigoted
5. adj-na, adj-no scared stiff; tense; nervous; frightened

Written forms: —. Readings: カチカチ、コチコチ、カチコチ、かちかち.

Other Japanese words for “frightened”

See also: Chinese symbol for “frightened”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.