If you’re translating kaku-kaku, your best bet is to choose an English phrase that matches the scene, then stick to it consistently across the paragraph.
Here are translation options that often fit well—use them as “translation candidates,” not fixed definitions:
- Jerking or jerkily (when movement is visibly staccato)
- Stiffly (when motion looks controlled but awkward)
- Stop-start (when the action pauses repeatedly)
- Choppy or skipping frames (when animation or screen performance is implied)
- Clicky or clunky (when the “mechanical” aspect is strong)
One mistake to avoid: translating it as a purely sound-based term (like “click-click”) when the text is clearly describing movement quality rather than actual audible clicks.
