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きっかり (kikkari) Japanese meaning: exactly | Kotomora

きっかり

き

っ

か

り

JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

exactly; precisely; just

onomatopoeic or mimetic word›

Used for amounts, measurements, or numbers that match perfectly without any remainder or deviation.

See also: かっきり

このケーキをきっかり半はん分ぶんに切きってください。

Please cut this cake exactly in half.

時計とけいはきっかり12時じを指さしていた。

The clock pointed to exactly 12 o'clock.

2

punctually; exactly on time

onomatopoeic or mimetic word›

Emphasizes that something happens right at the scheduled time, without being early or late.

See also: かっきり

彼かれはきっかり9時じに会かい議ぎ室しつに現あらわれた。
He appeared in the meeting room at exactly 9 o'clock.

Usage patterns

〈時じ〉きっかりに〈動どう詞し〉to do something at exactly <time>
会かい議ぎは3時じきっかりに始はじまった。
The meeting started at exactly 3 o'clock.
きっかり〈数すう〉exactly a given amount or number
パンの重おもさはきっかり100グラムだった。
The bread weighed exactly 100 grams.

Related words

ちょうどN4sense 1
ちょうど is a versatile word for 'just right' in timing, amount, or fit, while きっかり stresses exact precision especially in numbers and time.
かっきり sense 1
かっきり and きっかり both mean 'exactly' with a crisp, emphatic feel, and are largely interchangeable in everyday speech.
きっちりN1sense 1
きっちり emphasizes neatness or tightness of fit as well as precision, whereas きっかり focuses purely on numerical or temporal exactness.

Opposites

大だい体たいN5sense 1
だいたい means 'roughly' or 'approximately', the opposite of きっかり's sense of exact precision.

Don't confuse with

きっちりN1
きっかり is used almost only for exact times or amounts, while きっちり also covers tight fit and thorough completion.

Written forms

きっかりUsage94%
Standard hiragana spelling for this onomatopoeic adverb.
キッカリUsage6%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic/mimetic adverb; the reduplicated form with geminate consonant suggests a sharp, precise cut or division, giving the sense of exactness.