Translation guide
The sound of hard objects striking each other repeatedly, like heels on a floor, billiard balls, or typing on a keyboard.
Describe a repeated sharp, hard sound like heels, billiard balls, or castanets.
Onomatopoeia for light, hard, repeated clicking or clacking, such as heels on a hard floor, billiard balls, or a mechanical device.
I heard the clacking of high heels in the hallway.
Onomatopoeia for a light, crisp tapping or clacking, often used for footsteps, knocking, or typing. Slightly softer than カチカチ.
Onomatopoeia for a rattling or clattering sound, like a keyboard, loose parts, or small hard objects hitting each other.
Onomatopoeia for a metallic or mechanical clacking, like keys, buckles, or small metal parts. More metallic than カタカタ.
Describe the sound of teeth hitting together rapidly due to cold or fear.
Onomatopoeia for teeth chattering loudly, often from extreme cold or terror. Also used for stiff or frozen things.
Japanese onomatopoeia often combine with と (quotative) or いう (to say) to describe sounds. For example, カチカチという音 (a clacking sound). They can also function as adverbs with と, like カチカチと鳴る (to clack).
誰かがドアをコツコツとノックした。
Someone clacked on the door.
彼はキーボードをカタカタと打ち始めた。
He started clacking away at the keyboard.
鍵をカチャカチャいわせながら歩いた。
He walked along with his keys clacking.
My teeth were clacking from the cold.
Can also describe lighter teeth chattering, but ガチガチ is more common for intense chattering.
I was so scared my teeth were clacking.