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 she had never heard of it.
Is it still used?
asked Aug 26, 2011 at 3:28
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4It's not a word. It's a sound, and it's something like ‘hmmm’ in English (though not in meaning).– Zhen LinCommented Aug 26, 2011 at 4:52
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In other posts I have referred to such things as "vocal noises" but I bet there's an actual term for them too.– hippietrailCommented Aug 27, 2011 at 5:56
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Yes, I have seen it recently actually, from coworker from Nagoya.– wallyqsCommented Aug 27, 2011 at 15:12
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4 Answers
Friends and I quite often use "ふむ" (just once) in electronic communications in order to show acknowledgement, though with a very slight nuance of reluctance or thoughtful consideration.
Here's an example from a native Japanese speaker, after hearing about the context of a quiproquo:
ふむ。誤解されやすい書き方をしたので間違えて解釈されちゃったんだろう。
Though it's not "I know", it's definitely "OK", "I see" or something like that.
I use ふむ as well. Seldom ふむふむ. I think that's true for many people. I don't know how to put this well, but basically it sounds a bit.. um.. ridiculous maybe?
You see it often in manga.
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Do you use ふむ in speech? If so, how do you pronounce it? I am asking this because I find it hard to imagine that anyone says [ɸɯ↓mɯ], especially with the vowel in む. Commented Aug 26, 2011 at 15:07
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1@Ito Unless deliberate comic effect is intended, it's usually in the lines of "Hnn" or "Hmm". Enno: Just as how some people say そうかそうか (or そかそか) instead of just そうか, some people also repeat ふむ.– syockitCommented Aug 26, 2011 at 17:29
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@Tsuyoshi: syockit nailed it. I guess ふむふむ sounds a bit ridiculous because of the strong む. Commented Aug 28, 2011 at 12:21
I think Sexy Commando says either "ふむふむ、なるなる..." or"なるふむなるふむ" while reading a newspaper in one episode. Obviously, this is a humorous use.
BTW, I have a great related oyaji gag: I put out my hand to see if it was raining. By chance, a bird flew overhead just then and dropped some poop, which fell into my hand. I looked at it and said ふーーん?
A Japanese friend I started talking to two days ago (he's 27) uses ふむふむ with me when we write to each other. Sorry, I don't remember where in Japan he's from.
