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たどたどしい Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
i-adjective
faltering ; halting ; unsteady ; awkward ; clumsy
usually written using kana alone
Describes speech, movement, or actions that are hesitant, unsteady, or lacking smoothness, often due to inexperience or nervousness. Commonly used with 話し方, 足取り, 手つき, etc.
The fawn is walking with unsteady steps.
Written forms たどたどしい Usage 98%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 辿々しい and 辿辿しい are rare.
辿たど 々たど しい Usage 2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using the iteration mark 々.
辿たど 辿たど しい
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form with repeated kanji.
Similar words ぎこちない ぎこちない emphasizes stiffness or lack of natural flow in movement or social interaction, while たどたどしい focuses on hesitancy and lack of smoothness, often in speech or early learning stages.
おぼつかない おぼつかない implies uncertainty or unreliability, often about an outcome or ability, whereas たどたどしい describes the observable hesitant manner itself.
Etymology Derived from the verb 辿る (たどる, 'to follow a narrow path, to trace') with reduplication and the adjectival suffix しい, suggesting a sense of groping or proceeding unsteadily. The exact historical development is uncertain.
