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.
Describe the sound of teeth hitting together rapidly due to cold or fear.
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).
廊下でハイヒールのカチカチという音が聞こえた。
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.
Someone clacked on the door.
Onomatopoeia for a rattling or clattering sound, like a keyboard, loose parts, or small hard objects hitting each other.
He started clacking away at the keyboard.
Onomatopoeia for a metallic or mechanical clacking, like keys, buckles, or small metal parts. More metallic than カタカタ.
He walked along with his keys clacking.
Onomatopoeia for teeth chattering loudly, often from extreme cold or terror. Also used for stiff or frozen things.
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.