Japanese onomatopeia

28 Japanese onomatopeia

We use many onomatopeia in Japan. If you hear Japanese native conversation, you may not understand what they are talking because they use onomatopeia a lot especially for causeal conversation.

Feeling

• ドキドキ dokidoki / excited, worried..
• ワクワク wakuwaku / excited
• イライラ iraira / frustrated
• ムカムカ mukamuka / irritated
• しくしく shikushiku / sad
• 
スベスベ subeaube / smoothy
• ガサガサ gasagasa / dry
• ブルブル buruburu / shivering
• ガクガク gakugaku / shivering
• ホカホカ hokahoka /warm
• ポカポカ pokapoka /warm
• 
ヘトヘト hetoheto / tired
• クタクタ kutakuta / tired

Rain

• 
ざーざー zaazaa  / heavy rain
• しとしと shitoshito / light rain
• 
ぱらぱら parapara / light rain

Texture

• 
サクサク sakusaku
• 
ザクザク zakuzaku
• 
シャキシャキ shakishaki => Salad?
• ねばねば nebaneba => Natto?
• しっとり shittori

Impact

• ジャーン jaaaaaan
• ドドーン dodoooon
• 
ドカーン dokaaan => missiles?
• バーン baaaan => gun?
• キラキラ kirakira / shiny

Listening

When we listen in Japanese conversation, we use “あいづち aidsuchi (give responses)” which shows response with voice like “hai”, “eh”, “un”, “dane”, “haihai” …etc. I know we listen without saying silently in English conversation but it’s not right in Japanese conversation. Silence is not listening in Japanese. This is interesting.  If you are silent while listening, your girl friend would say “Are you hearing?”.

If you take job interview in Japan, use these aidsuchi randomly hehe..

Conversation

A: 週末海にいってきたんだよね。すごいイケメンがいてさ!…
shumatsu umini ittekitandayone. sugoi ikemen ga itesa…
B: へー、背高い？
hee, se takai?

A: おれの彼女美人なんだよね。
Oreno kanojo bijin nandayone.
B: うん、うん
Un, un.

うん うん (When she listens about other girl is beautiful.)

Slang Japanese [Reaction]

We give response with one character like “は?”, “え？”…etc. These are like slang and casual words but we often use them in life.

	image	note
は？ ha?		angry are you insane?
え？ Eh?		pardon? say again.
で？ De?		angry So what?
あ？ Ah?		very angry
な。 Na.		agree / yes / Na of Soudana
む!Mu!		angry a little / Mu of Mukatsuku means “angry”.

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