Japanese symbol for “frightened”
カチカチ
カチカチ
Romaji: kachikachi
ticktock
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
- adv, adv-to ticktock
- adv, adv-to chinking (e.g. of a hammer against rock); knocking; clicking; clacking; clattering
- adj-na, adj-no dry and hard; (frozen) stiff
- adj-na, adj-no hidebound; die-hard; stubborn; obstinate; bigoted
- 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”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 人心恟々 | じんしんきょうきょう jinshinkyoukyou | panic-stricken (people); frightened (masses); alarmed |
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.