ちょこちょこ

ちょ

こ

ちょ

こ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

ちょこちょこする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

toddling; with small quick steps

Describes walking or moving with short, rapid steps, like a child or small animal.

restlessly; in continuous motion

Implies constant, busy movement, often of a person or animal that won't stay still.

quickly and easily

Used when a task is done in a brisk, effortless manner, often with a sense of casualness.

Indicates that something happens repeatedly or at short intervals; can range from 'often' to 'occasionally' depending on context.

〈人ひと〉がちょこちょこ歩あるくfor someone to walk with small, quick steps
小ちいさな子こ供どもがちょこちょこ歩あるいてついてきた。
The small child came along, toddling with quick little steps.
〈場ば所しょ〉をちょこちょこ動うごき回まわるto move restlessly around a place
犬いぬが部屋へやの中なかをちょこちょこ動うごき回まわっている。
The dog is moving restlessly around the room.
ちょこちょこ〈事こと〉を済すませるto quickly and easily get something done
細こまかい用よう事じをちょこちょこ済すませた。
I quickly took care of a bunch of small errands.
ちょこちょこ〈場ば所しょ〉に顔かおを出だすto drop by a place now and then
彼かれは最さい近きんこの店みせにちょこちょこ顔かおを出だしている。
He's been dropping by this shop now and then lately.

ちょこまかN1sense 2
ちょこちょこ describes small, quick movement that can sound cute or neutral, while ちょこまか emphasizes fidgety, restless motion that can sound annoying.
トコトコ sense 1
とことこ specifically describes the light, steady pattering steps of walking, while ちょこちょこ can also cover restless fidgeting or repeated small actions beyond just walking.
たびたびN3sense 4
たびたび is a plain, neutral word for 'often' used in formal or written contexts, while ちょこちょこ in this sense feels more casual and conversational.
しょっちゅうN2sense 4
しょっちゅう is a very colloquial way to say 'all the time,' while ちょこちょこ in the frequency sense suggests smaller, less continuous repeated occurrences.

のっそりN1sense 1
ちょこちょこ describes quick, small movements, while のっそり describes slow, sluggish movement.

ちょろちょろ sense 1
ちょこちょこ and ちょろちょろ sound similar and both suggest small quick movement, but ちょろちょろ typically describes darting or trickling motion (like a small stream or a mischievous kid slipping away), not a person's gait.
ちょこっと
ちょこちょこ (repeatedly, in little bits over time or with quick small movements) sounds similar to ちょこっと but describes frequency or motion, not a single small amount.

ちょこちょこUsage81%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic adverb.
チョコチョコUsage19%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it likely derives from the sound or impression of small, quick movements.