ちゃらちゃら

Onomatopoeia. Found in texts from at least the late 1600s. Compare English jingle jingle, chatter chatter.

• (Tokyo) ちゃらちゃら (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

ちゃらちゃら or チャラチャラ • (charachara) 

1. (onomatopoeia) jinglingly, janglingly

   小(こ)銭(ぜに)がちゃらちゃら落(お)ちた

   kozeni ga charachara ochita

   coins dropped with a jingling sound

2. (onomatopoeia) chatteringly, talkatively

   Synonyms: ぺらぺら (perapera), ぺちゃくちゃ (pechakucha)

3. (onomatopoeia, by extension from the idea of jingling coins) showily, frivolously, shallowly, superficially

   いつもちゃらちゃらしてますけどね！

   Itsumo charachara shitemasu kedo ne!

   But (you are, he is, she is, etc.) always showing off!

• チャラい (charai)

ちゃらちゃらする or チャラチャラする • (charachara suru) suru (stem ちゃらちゃらし (charachara shi), past ちゃらちゃらした (charachara shita))

1. to jingle, make a metallic sound
2. to chatter, to talk ceaselessly

   Synonyms: ぺらぺら (perapera), ぺちゃくちゃ (pechakucha)

3. to show off, to be frivolous or superficial

Sometimes encountered with the adverbial particle と (to) before either する (suru, “to do”) or another verb.