かたっくるしい

かたっ苦しい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	かたっ苦くるしい	かたっ苦くるしくない
Polite	かたっ苦くるしいです	かたっ苦くるしくないですalso かたっ苦くるしくありません
Past polite	かたっ苦くるしかったです	かたっ苦くるしくなかったですalso かたっ苦くるしくありませんでした
Past	かたっ苦くるしかった	かたっ苦くるしくなかった
Te-form	かたっ苦くるしくて	かたっ苦くるしくなくて
Adverbial	かたっ苦くるしく
Conditional	かたっ苦くるしければ	かたっ苦くるしくなければ
Tara conditional	かたっ苦くるしかったら	かたっ苦くるしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

stiff; formal; ceremonious; strict

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person, atmosphere, or manner that is overly formal, rigid, or lacking warmth. Often used negatively for situations that feel constrained or uncomfortable.

Kanji

堅strict, hard, solid
苦suffering, trial, worry

Related words

堅かた苦くるしい
A similar adjective without the geminated っ. It carries the same meaning of stiffness and formality, but かたっ苦しい is more emphatic and colloquial.
固かたい
Means 'hard' or 'stiff' in a physical sense, but can also describe a person as rigid or formal. かたっ苦しい focuses specifically on an overly formal or constrained social atmosphere.

Written forms

かたっ苦くるしい
Mixed kana-kanji spelling is common and avoids the heavy kanji feel while keeping the meaning clear.
堅かたっ苦くるしい
Full kanji spelling; this is the only kanji form. It is correct but can look stiff itself.

Etymology

Derived from 堅苦しい (かたくるしい) with an emphatic geminated っ inserted, giving a more colloquial and intensified feel. The base 堅苦しい combines 堅い (hard, stiff) and 苦しい (painful, difficult).