Mimetic words representing sounds.
6
votes
2answers
324 views
What does “ごうと音がして” mean?
I am currently practicing Japanese by reading a novel but I have reached a sentence that I could not understand.
ごうと音がして
Can you please translate the vocabulary and verb used along with any unique ...
3
votes
1answer
335 views
Is there a Japanese version of urbandictionary?
I came across this phrase today:
むぎゅむぎゅ
From context, it looks like it should mean something like "cute" or "poor you", but I couldn't find it on jisho.org or goo.ne.jp.
Is there a Japanese ...
3
votes
1answer
271 views
Why are there so many sound symbolic words?
Wikipedia states that "sound symbolic words occur more often in Japanese than in English..." Indeed, Amazon.jp has a 4500-word dictionary just for these words. Is there any research or solid ...
4
votes
1answer
224 views
Sound mimesis (or 擬音語【ぎおんご】 or 擬態語【ぎたいご】) of ビ and シッ
Consider this panel:
What do ビ and シッ represent? I'm conjecturing ビ is the mimesis for the raised finger, and シッ is the mimesis for the scarf as she turns around.
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How to write down sound of laugh in speech
I'm listening to some dialogues in Japanese and I write them down.
I need to write down sound of laughter in sentence (speech) like in English for example
Ha ha
What I need should have notion of ...
7
votes
3answers
199 views
Is「ふむふむ」still used nowadays?
I learned from a Japanese friend that ふむふむ could be translated like "oh, I got it", "I see", "I know", or "ok". It could be also in this form: ふむふむ なるほど
But, my sister lived in Japan for 5 years, and ...
3
votes
1answer
170 views
What does バタバタ mean?
コラム書かなきゃ。映像チェックしなきゃ。アレも書かなきゃ。アレも考えなきゃ。バタバタバタ子さん(´･_･`)
Everything make sense to me except for the last part.
6
votes
1answer
171 views
ぼちぼち - related words
I am at present rigorously studying 擬音語／擬態語 (an entire world of its own!).
The definition my book has for ぼちぼち (also ぼつぼつ) is:
1. Gradually; slowly but steadily
2. Used to describe something that is ...
8
votes
3answers
307 views
Why is it お[腹]{なか}が[空]{す}いた but [腹]{はら}[減]{へ}った?
Is there any particular reason why the noun おなか goes with verb すく while the noun はら goes with the verb へる? Would it be weird if I use おなかへった or はらすいた?
While on the same topic, does the 'starving' ...
10
votes
1answer
163 views
How are the giongo/gitaigo double form and tto form related (きらきら vs. きらっと)
With many 擬音語 (ぎおんご, onomatopoeia) and 擬態語 (ぎたいご, mimetic words) there is a double form, where the word is repeated, and a form with っと at the end. For example:
きらきら -> きらっと (sparkling)
ぴかぴか -> ...
7
votes
1answer
272 views
Do 擬態語 (いらいら, きらきら, すっきり, etc.) generally have root words?
I understand that 擬音語 (ぎおんご) imitate sounds, like どきどき imitates a heartbeat. So, if these onomatopoeia don't have roots I wouldn't be at all surprised.
But where do 擬態語 (ぎたいご) come from? Do いらいら (to ...
