がらくた

が

ら

く

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Refers to worthless or useless items, often cluttering a space. Can be used for physical objects or metaphorically for low-quality things.

ジャンク
ガラクタ is a native Japanese word for worthless odds and ends with a strong clutter nuance, while ジャンク is a modern loanword often used in compounds like ジャンクフード.
ポンコツ
ガラクタ is a general word for worthless junk of any kind, while ポンコツ specifically implies something that used to work (like a car or machine) and has broken down.
瓦が礫れき
がらくた is the everyday word for useless junk or odds and ends around the house, whereas 瓦礫 specifically means rubble left from destruction.
不ふ用よう品ひんN2
ガラクタ is a casual, often disparaging word for worthless junk, while 不用品 is a neutral term for items that are simply no longer needed.

宝たからN3
がらくた means worthless junk, the opposite of 宝, which is something precious and valued.

がらくたUsage45%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
ガラクタUsage48%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
我が楽らく多たUsage7%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling; rarely used.
瓦が落らく多たUsage1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Ateji spelling; rarely used.

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to がら (worthless) and くた (rubbish), but the exact derivation is unclear.