クタクタ

• Reading: くたくた
• Romaji: kuta kuta
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ta.kɯ.ta/

Meaning

Worn out, dead tired, or physically depleted. Also describes limp, wilted objects.

クタクタ conveys being thoroughly worn out — like a wrung-out dishcloth or a wilted plant. It emphasizes the physical aspect of exhaustion: your body feels limp and useless. Beyond describing fatigue, it's also used for objects that have lost their shape or stiffness — a クタクタ bag is a well-worn, floppy bag, and クタクタ vegetables are overcooked and mushy. This dual usage makes it uniquely descriptive.

Examples

1. 一日中歩いてクタクタになった。 I walked around all day and I'm completely worn out.
2. このバッグ使いすぎてクタクタだけど愛着ある。 This bag is all beat up from overuse, but I'm attached to it.
3. クタクタに煮込んだ野菜が好き。 I like vegetables that have been boiled down until they're soft and limp.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, cooking, describing wear

Tone: tired, worn

Do Say

• クタクタで動けない (I'm so worn out I can't move)
• クタクタに煮たキャベツ美味しいよね (Cabbage boiled until it's soft and limp is delicious)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな場で「クタクタ」は避ける — 「大変疲れました」を使う (Avoid 'kuta kuta' in formal settings — use 大変疲れました)

Common Mistakes

• Not knowing the object meaning — クタクタ can describe floppy, well-worn items, not just tired people
• Confusing with ヘトヘト — both mean exhausted, but クタクタ emphasizes physical limpness

Origin & History

Onomatopoeia imitating the sensation of something going limp and losing its structure. Applied to both human exhaustion (body going limp) and physical objects (losing rigidity). Traditional Japanese expression.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional onomatopoeia

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The cooking usage (クタクタ煮) is popular in Japanese recipe descriptions.