The Meaning of kuttsuku [くっ付く] In Japanese

くっ付く
くっつく
Romaji: kuttsuku N5

What does くっ付く mean?

Translation and Meaning

to stick, to cling, to be attached to, to adhere

Definition

What does くっ付く mean? It means to become physically attached or to cling to a surface or object, and it can also describe a figurative attachment or closeness. The action is intransitive and describes the state of being stuck rather than causing attachment.

Type

Verb (godan, intransitive) (動詞・五段・自動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • physical adhesion: something adheres to a surface or another object, as in a sticker, tape, or glue, resulting in a stable attachment.
  • figurative attachment: used to describe a strong emotional or conceptual connection, such as an idea, habit, or memory becoming associated with someone or something.
  • state of being stuck: describes an ongoing condition, often expressed with the te-form くっ付いている to emphasize the continuing adhesion.

Etymology

付く (つく) is the base verb meaning to attach or belong; in くっ付く the っ sokuon is inserted before つく to intensify the contact, producing kuttsuku.

Composition

  • 付: core meaning to attach, belong, or adhere.
  • く: phonetic segment preceding the base; contributes to the word’s rhythm when combined with つく.
  • っ: sokuon indicating abrupt contact, doubling the following consonant for a stronger, instantaneous action.
  • く: final syllable completing the verb stem (tsuku) in its contracted form with く.

Usage

Common in everyday speech for physical sticking: subject が surface に くっ付く; includes natural collocations with everyday objects like clothing, paper, and adhesives. It is neutral to informal; in writing, it appears in descriptive contexts. The te-form くっ付いている describes a continuing state; くっ付かない negates the adhesion; the transitive counterpart is くっ付ける to attach something to something else.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine two fingers slamming together with a loud doubled consonant っ to grab onto a surface; the sound cue helps remember that くっ付く means a sudden, sticky contact.

Variations

  • くっつく (kuttsuku) — basic intransitive form, same meaning; treated as closely related.
  • くっつける (kuttsukeru) — transitive form: to attach or fix something to another object.
  • 貼り付く (はりつく, haritsuku) — to cling to a surface, often used for physical adhesion with a different nuance.
  • 粘着する (ねんちゃくする, nenchaku suru) — formal/technical term for persistent adhesion or sticking.

Words with the same Kanji

Example Phrases

  • ノート に のり が くっ付く
    Nooto ni nori ga kuttsuku
    Glue sticks to the notebook.
    Lista:
    • ノート (Nooto) – notebook
    • に (ni) – to/at
    • のり (nori) – glue
    • が (ga) – (subject marker)
    • くっ付く (kuttsuku) – to stick
    Verbo intransitivo; descreve algo que fica grudado a outra coisa. O núcleo é 「くっ付く」.
くっ付く