カリカリ
Meaning: Crispy with a light crunch — like croutons, rice crackers, or crispy bacon. Also means being irritable.
カリカリ describes a light, satisfying crunch — the kind you get from toasted bread crusts, rice crackers, crispy bacon, or caramelized sugar. It's a gentler crunch than パリパリ (sharp snap) and lighter than ガリガリ (hard crunch). Beyond food, カリカリする also means being irritable or worked up about something, often used to tell someone to calm down and stop being so uptight.
Examples
- カリカリに焼いたベーコンが好き。 我喜欢煎得嘎嘣脆的培根。Me encanta el beicon tostado hasta quedar カリカリ (bien crujiente).카리카리하게 구운 베이컨이 좋아.
- そんなにカリカリしないで、落ち着きなよ。 别那么烦躁,冷静一下吧。No te pongas tan カリカリ (irritable), relájate un poco.그렇게 카리카리하지 말고 진정해.
- カリカリ梅が止まらない。 脆梅一吃就停不下来。Las ciruelas カリカリ (crujientes) son irresistibles, no puedo parar de comerlas.카리카리 매실(카리카리우메)이 멈출 수가 없어.
Pronunciation
/ka.ɾi.ka.ɾi/
Usage Guide
Context: food, cooking, emotions
Tone: appetizing (food) / irritable (emotion)
✓ Do Say
- カリカリのクルトン入れて (Put in the crispy croutons)放上脆脆的面包丁(指示加入酥脆的配料)Ponle los picatostes crujientes카리카리한 크루통 넣어줘 (바삭한 크루통 넣어줘)
- カリカリしてどうしたの? (Why are you so worked up?)你怎么这么烦躁?(关心对方为何心烦)¿Por qué estás tan irritable? ¿Qué te pasa?카리카리해서 왜 그래? (왜 그렇게 짜증 내는 거야?)
✗ Don't Say
- ふわふわの食感を「カリカリ」とは言わない (Don't call a fluffy texture 'kari kari' — they're opposites)蓬松柔软的口感不能叫'カリカリ'——它们是完全相反的(注意区分口感用词)No llames «kari kari» a una textura esponjosa; son totalmente opuestas폭신한 식감을 「카리카리」라고 하지 않는다 (푹신한 식감에 '카리카리'를 쓰면 안 된다 — 정반대 의미이다)
Common Mistakes
- Not knowing the emotional meaning — カリカリする about a person means they're irritable, not crispy
- Confusing with ガリガリ which is a harder, rougher crunch (like gnawing on ice)
Origin & History
Onomatopoeia imitating the light crunching sound of biting into something crispy. The かり (kari) captures a gentler crunch than がり (gari). The 'irritable' meaning may derive from the image of something being dried out and brittle — losing its moisture/patience.
Cultural Context
Era: Traditional onomatopoeia
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. カリカリ梅 (crispy dried plum) is a popular Japanese snack that perfectly exemplifies the texture.
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