SHAKKI-RI しゃっきり
Meanings
1. Describes standing straight and firm, with good tension and no limpness.
2. Describes being mentally alert, energetic, and free of weakness or lethargy.
3. Describes a firm, crisp texture or the crisp sensation or sound it produces.
Examples
1. The president is explaining something, so stand up straight and pay attention.
社長が説明してるんだからしゃっきり立ってろ。
2. My father is eighty, but his mind is sharp and he is still remarkably alert.
父は80歳になるが、頭脳明晰でしゃっきりしている。
2. Stimulants can make you feel suddenly alert and drive away sleepiness.
覚醒剤をやると、しゃっきりして眠気が吹き飛ぶ。
3. Fresh cucumbers have a wonderfully crisp bite.
新鮮なきゅうりは、とてもしゃっきりした歯応えだ。
Dogmatic Opinion
The opposite image of SHAKKI-RI may be relaxation or limpness—something floppy and without tension.
I try not to explain one onomatopoeic expression with another onomatopoeic expression, but sometimes that is exactly what Japanese makes you want to do.
Across posture, mental alertness, and crisp texture, SHAKKI-RI suggests healthy tension: straight rather than drooping, alert rather than listless, crisp rather than limp.
Proximate Expression
shape up
crisp
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
For posture, upright or standing straight; for mental condition, alert, sharp, or wide awake; for food texture, crisp or firm. English must change with the noun. The shared Japanese image is one of tension, firmness, and vitality rather than slackness.
