ガツガツ

• 読み: がつがつ
• ローマ字: gatsu gatsu
• 発音: /ga.tsɯ.ga.tsɯ/

意味

Eating greedily or wolfing down food. Also used to describe aggressively pursuing something — money, success, or romantic interests.

ガツガツ conveys forceful, unrefined eagerness. When applied to eating, it means gobbling food without manners. In modern slang, it commonly describes someone who is overly aggressive in pursuing goals, money, or romantic interests. Saying someone is ガツガツしてる often carries a negative nuance — implying they're too pushy, desperate, or lacking finesse. It contrasts with the more composed Japanese social ideal.

例文

1. そんなガツガツ食べたら喉詰まるよ。
2. あの人ガツガツしすぎて逆に引くわ。
3. ガツガツ稼ぎたいなら副業始めたら？

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, dating talk, career talk

トーン: critical, slightly negative

正しい言い方

• ガツガツ食べないでゆっくり食べなよ (Don't wolf it down, eat slowly)
• 最近の若い子はガツガツしてなくて草 (Young people these days aren't aggressive at all, lol)

避ける言い方

• 褒め言葉として「ガツガツしてるね」は使わない (Don't use 'gatsu gatsu shiteru ne' as a compliment — it implies being pushy)

よくある間違い

• Thinking ガツガツ is always positive (showing drive) — it usually implies being too aggressive or lacking tact
• Confusing with もぐもぐ which is gentle eating, not forceful

起源と歴史

Onomatopoeia imitating the forceful sound of vigorous eating. The metaphorical extension to aggressive behavior developed in colloquial speech, becoming especially common in dating and career contexts.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional onomatopoeia with modern slang extension

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. The dating/career nuance is especially common among younger speakers discussing social dynamics.