カツカツ

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

barely; just; narrowly; with difficulty

Describes a situation where one barely manages to do something, often with a sense of scraping by or just meeting a minimum requirement. Mimetic word.

• 給きゅう料りょう日び前まえで、いつもカツカツの生せい活かつだ。

  Before payday, I'm always living hand-to-mouth.

• 締しめ切きりにカツカツで間まに合あった。

  I barely made the deadline.