JLPT N2 Vocabulary – Difference between “ごちゃごちゃ” and “ぐちゃぐちゃ”

Table of Contents

1. Difference between “ごちゃごちゃ” and “ぐちゃぐちゃ“
2. ごちゃごちゃ
3. ぐちゃぐちゃ
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comment

Q: What’s the difference between “ごちゃごちゃ” and “ぐちゃぐちゃ”?

A: Both are onomatopoeic words that express a state of confusion or disorder, but their meanings and usage differ.

ごちゃごちゃ (JLPT N2)

[Meanings]
① A state where various things are not organized
② A situation where it’s unclear where things are located
③ A condition where thoughts in the mind are not organized
④ Expresses complaints, dissatisfaction, or trivial matters

[Commonly Used Words]
する／している(to do/doing)・言いう(to say)・考かんがえる(to think)・散ちらかる(to be messy)・話はなし(talk)・部屋へや(room)

[Examples]
スマホの画面がめんは色々いろいろなアプリでごちゃごちゃしています。（①）
The phone screen is cluttered with various apps.

机つくえの上うえがごちゃごちゃでペンすら見みつかりません。（②）　　
The desk is so messy that I can’t even find a pen.

社長しゃちょうにいろいろ言いわれて頭あたまの中なかがごちゃごちゃです。（③）
After being told so much by the boss, my head is all jumbled up.

姉あねにごちゃごちゃ言いわれたけど気きにしないでおこう。（④）　
My sister kept nagging, but I decided not to care.

ぐちゃぐちゃ (JLPT N2)

[Meaning]
① A state where things are mixed together without coherence
② A state where objects are crushed or their shapes are deformed
③ A condition where something contains a lot of moisture, making it soft or causing its shape to deform
④ The sound of something containing moisture or something soft being crushed or mixed chaotically
⑤ A state where string-like objects are tangled together

[Commonly Used Words]
する／している(to do/doing)・なる(to become)・崩くずれる(to collapse)・混まざる(to be mixed)・つぶれる(to crush)

[Examples]
引き出ひ　だしの中なかがぐちゃぐちゃで、何なにがどこにあるかわかりません。（①）
The inside of the drawer is a mess, and I can’t find anything.

ケーキが崩くずれてぐちゃぐちゃになりました。（②）
The cake collapsed and got all messy.

新聞しんぶんが雨あめに濡ぬれてぐちゃぐちゃになりました。（③）
The newspaper got soaked in the rain and turned into a soggy mess.

玉子たまごをぐちゃぐちゃにまぜないで、丁寧ていねいにまぜてください。（④）
Please don’t mix the eggs roughly; mix them gently.

風かぜで髪の毛かみ　けがぐちゃぐちゃになりました。（⑤）
My hair got all tangled up in the wind.

Let’s Compare

ごちゃごちゃ refers to a state where there are too many items and they are not organized.
Therefore, it is often used when there are many things, and it is characterized by the mixing of different types of items.

ぐちゃぐちゃ refers to a state where an object is not in its original shape or a tidy appearance.
Therefore, even when there are few items or a single item, ぐちゃぐちゃ can be used.

It is useful to remember certain verbs and nouns that are often used with these expressions as a set.
The meanings are also established.

[Examples]
母ははにごちゃごちゃ言いわれたけど無視むししました。
I ignored my mother even though she was complaining to me.
⇒ This means that she was saying a lot of unimportant things.

ごちゃごちゃ考かんがえてどんどんわからなくなってきました。
Thinking about it over and over, I’m getting more and more confused.
⇒ This refers to a state where the thoughts are not organized and you’re considering many things.
　　　
失敗しっぱいした書類しょるいをぐちゃぐちゃにして捨すてました。
I crumpled up the failed document and threw it away.
⇒ This indicates that the document was messily crumpled, losing its original shape. It refers to a single set of documents, not many.

爆発ばくはつでビルはぐちゃぐちゃにつぶれました。
The building was crushed into pieces by the explosion.
⇒ This means the building was destroyed, losing its original form. It refers to a single building, not multiple buildings.

Summary

[ごちゃごちゃ]

• It describes a state of disorganization or confusion in a place or one’s mind or to express complaints, dissatisfaction, or trivial matters.
• It is often used when many things are involved, especially when items of a different nature are mixed.

[ぐちゃぐちゃ]

• It is used to describe a state where people or things are mixed in a disorganized manner or when physical objects are crushed, softened by water, or have lost their original shape.
• It can be used even when there are few items or when referring to a single item.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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