How to say "gritty" in Japanese

• ザラザラCommon
  adverb (with と), suru verb, no-adjective, na-adjectiveCovers the tactile sense of gritty: a rough, coarse or sandy feel to the touch, like sandpaper; it also describes a rough, gravelly voice. This is the common word for rough textures.
  猫ねこの舌したはざらざらしている。↗

  The tongue of a cat feels rough.
• じゃりじゃり
  adverb (with と), na-adjective, suru verbCovers gritty when the grit is actual sand or small pebbles, with a distinctly crunchy feel — sand in food or crunching underfoot. It is the less common and more specific of the two.

Use 「ザラザラ」 for the general tactile sense of gritty — a rough, sandy texture or a gravelly voice — and 「じゃりじゃり」 when the grit is actual sand or pebbles with a crunchy feel.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ざらざらrough (touch, voice, etc.)
• じゃりじゃりcrunchy