katteita

Katteita is a romanization that can refer to a grammatical form in Japanese rather than a standalone lexical entry. It derives from the verb phrase katteiru, built from the noun 勝手 (katte), which carries the sense of one’s own convenience or doing something as one pleases. In Japanese, katteiru expresses an ongoing state or habitual action, and katteita marks that state in the past. The nuance commonly conveyed is that someone acted according to their own wishes, sometimes with a negative or self-serving implication, depending on context.

In usage, katteita appears in descriptions of past conduct where a person acted volitionally or without deference to others or rules. Common surrounding expressions include katte ni shite ita (was doing things as one pleases) or katte datta (was selfish or was as one pleased). The exact interpretation depends on context, the surrounding verbs, and tone.

Because katteita is a grammatical form rather than a discrete English word, its appearance outside Japanese texts is rare. When encountered in discussions in English, it is usually in reference to the broader concept of acting “as one pleases” or “at one’s own convenience” embodied by katteiru and its inflections. See also: 勝手, 勝手にする, katteiru.