Hello, everyone learning Japanese! Among the unique sounds and expressions in Japanese, onomatopoeia stands out prominently. Onomatopoeia symbolises the rich expressive power of Japanese and is widely used from everyday conversations to literary works, manga, and anime. In this article, we will introduce the types of onomatopoeia, along with representative onomatopoeic words and their usage examples.
Onomatopoeia in Japanese
Onomatopoeia is one of the symbolic expression forms in Japanese, referring to words that imitate natural sounds, movements, emotions, etc. Onomatopoeia serves as an important means to concisely convey emotions or situations that cannot be fully expressed with words alone and is frequently used in various situations. It is utilised not only to convey the sound and movement imagery but also in expressing emotions and states.
Learning onomatopoeia helps deepen the understanding of the sound and nuances of Japanese words, enriching communication. Moreover, as it is commonly used in various contents such as Japanese manga, anime, advertisements, lyrics, etc., it becomes a crucial element for Japanese learners to understand Japanese culture and context.
On the other hand, onomatopoeia is difficult to translate directly into other languages. This is an expression deeply related to Japan’s unique culture and sensibilities, making it not directly applicable to other languages.
Types of Japanese Onomatopoeia
In Japanese, which expresses many things with onomatopoeia, there are approximately 4,500 onomatopoeic words in use. Japanese onomatopoeia can generally be classified into five types: sounds of animals and human voices, natural sounds, states of objects, states or actions of animals, and human emotions.
However, some words belong to multiple groups, and there are also words that are difficult to categorise. Therefore, it is said that memorising the categories of onomatopoeia is not important.
Animal Sounds or Human Voices
Onomatopoeia is commonly used to express animal sounds, human voices, noises, etc., and in Japanese, it is called “Giseigo“. It is frequently encountered not only in daily conversations but also in manga, anime, etc.
“ワンワン” (wanwan) – Dog’s bark
Example: 犬がワンワンと吠えている – A dog is barking.
“にゃー” (nya-) – Cat’s meow
Example: 猫がにゃーと鳴いている – The cat is meowing.
“くすくす” (kusukusu) – Giggling sound
Example: 私の冗談にみんなくすくすと笑った – Everyone chuckled at my joke.
“キャー” (kyaa) – Screaming by excitement
Example: 俳優が登場すると、女の子達は「キャー！」と叫んだ。- When the actor appeared, girls screamed.
Natural Sounds
Onomatopoeia is also used to represent natural sounds, evoking beauty and atmosphere beyond what words alone can express. It is called “Giongo” in Japanese, and frequently used in various situations such as daily conversations, literary works, poems, lyrics, etc.
“びゅーびゅー” (byuubyuu) – Sound of strong wind
Example: 今日は風がびゅーびゅーと吹いている – The wind is blowing loudly today.
“ばたん” (batan) – Sound of a door closing
Example: 風でドアがばたんと閉まった – The door slammed shut in the wind.
“ぷるるる” (purururu) – Ringing of a phone:
Example: その時、ぷるるると電話がなった – At that moment, the phone rang.
“どんどん” (dondon) – Sound of something hitting:
Example: ドアをドンドン叩く音がする – There’s a sound of knocking on the door.
States or Conditions of Things
Onomatopoeias that express the state or condition of things are called “Gitaigo”. This type of onomatopoeias can be used even when there is no actual sound, helping convey sensory impressions.
“キラキラ” (kirakira) – Sparkling
Example: 外で何かがキラキラと光っている – Something is sparkling outside.
“ざらざら” (zarazara) – Rough
Example: このビーチの砂はザラザラしている – The sand on this beach is rough.
“しーん” (shīn) – Silence
Example: この辺りはいつもしーんとしている / It’s always quiet around here
“ぐちゃぐちゃ” (guchagucha) – Messy
Example: 雨で地面がぐちゃぐちゃだ – The ground is muddy from the rain.
States or Actions of Living Things
Onomatopoeia is also used to describe the actions and states of humans and animals.
“ペコペコ” (pekopeko) – Being hungry
Example: お腹がペコペコだよ! – I’m starving!
“うろうろ” (urouro) – Wandering
Example: あやしい人が公園でうろうろしている – A suspicious person is wandering around the park.
“にこにこ” (nikoniko) – Happily smiling
Example: 赤ちゃんがにこにこ笑っている – The baby is smiling happily.
“ばたばた” (batabata) – Being busy
Example：旅行の準備でバタバタしそうだ – I’ll be busy preparing for my trip.
“パクパク” (pakupaku) – Munching
Example: 子猫はエサをパクパク食べている – The kitten is eating its food.
Emotions or Psychological States
Onomatopoeia is frequently used to express emotional states.
“ドキドキ” (dokidoki) – Pounding, heart beating
Example: 緊張でドキドキが止まらない – My heart keeps pounding due to nervousness.
“わくわく” (wakuwaku) – Excited or thrilled
Example: 明日は遠足だからわくわくしている – I’m excited because tomorrow is the school trip.
“イライラ” (iraira) – Irritation
Example: 先生はいつもイライラしている – The teacher always seems irritated.
“きゅん” (kyun) – Heart skipped, Heart fluttered
Example: 彼の笑顔に胸がきゅんとなった – His smile made my heart skip a beat.
The onomatopoeic words listed above are just a small sample, yet they represent key onomatopoeic expressions that appear in various situations. Onomatopoeia is a symbolic expression form of Japanese, widely utilized in various situations. It enriches the sound and nuances of words, making communication more vibrant. Let’s dive into the mysterious and profound world of onomatopoeia.
