Questions tagged [onomatopoeia]
擬声語. Mimetic words representing sounds.
108
questions
3
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133 views
What’s the difference between サクサク and パリパリ
I have a question about Japanese onomatopoeia (擬態語). What is the difference between サクサク and パリパリ? Are there situations where using one instead of the other is incorrect? As I understand it, they both ...
5
votes
2answers
210 views
Translations of「しっとり」for describing food
On the television the other day, there were some people talking about how the word 「しっとり」 applied to food can't be translated exactly into other languages. It seems that 「しっとり」 could be translated ...
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1answer
82 views
meaning of hiragana in a verse
This sentence is from a poem:
トイレットペーパーしゅるる.
The katakanas mean "toilet paper". How about the hiraganas?
I thought it would be a verb because of the る-ending, but can't find a verb like this in ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
What does ぐてっと mean?
I saw it in the following context:
xxは、ぐてっと俺に体を預け、胸に顔を埋めてくる
Based on the spelling, I wonder if it's similar to ぐでんぐでん, but I'm not sure about that. Based on context, I'm guessing it means ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
What does カピカ mean?
I can't find this word in a dictionary.
It appears on a bag of rice I bought. The sentence is:
カピカ仕上げで、丁寧に磨いたきれいなお米です。
Is it a contraction of カピカピ, describing how the rice is dried out?
2
votes
1answer
199 views
パドル -What does it actually mean?
I believe, many of you have already seen this meme.
In short, in a PlayStation game Fate/Extra an anime girl is singing Jingle bells-like song in Japanese:
走{はし}れ艝{そり}よ
風{かぜ}のように
月{ずき}見晴{みは}らを
...
1
vote
1answer
120 views
シュバババーン? What is it?
I initially heard this in this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Qu9rQDors
What is シュバババーン? Seems like sound effect. When I search this exactly on google it has over a thousand results which ...
5
votes
1answer
867 views
What does ゲヒゲヒ mean?
I saw it in the context of ゲヒゲヒ笑う and would like to know what kind of laugh it is. Some quick Googling seems to indicate it might be like laughing uncontrollably maybe but I can't find any sources.
10
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2answers
243 views
Do native speakers ever create/improvise onomatopoeia?
Since Japanese is incredibly rich in onomatopoeic expressions which are commonly understood by most adults, I am wondering if adults ever make up new onomatopoeia on the fly, or if they always use ...
2
votes
2answers
252 views
Meaning of ひらっと
銀河鉄道の夜から.
電燈の向こう側の暗い小路から出て来て、 ひらっとジョバンニとすれちがいました.
Dictionary says flat, plain, may be it can be coldly?
4
votes
1answer
386 views
What's a good onomatopoeia for “suddenly realizing, in a flash of genius”?
In a sentence like:
While I was in the bath, (suddenly / in a flash of genius / …) I thought of a great plan.
風呂に入っている時に、____とすごい計画を思いついた。
Is there a good [擬情語]{gijōgo} word to fill in the ...
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vote
1answer
106 views
What does “ガッツンガッツン” mean?
From here: http://doge-sucha.com/2018/12/zaregoto-1328/
I've seen this before on slangy dialogue but I can't find a dictionary meaning for it. Thanks.
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3answers
3k views
Is 写真 an onomatopoeia?
Is 写真, the word for photograph, in any way a form of onomatopoeia? That is to say, is it at all based on the sound of taking a photo?
I'm aware of the meanings of 写 and 真, but when said aloud I ...
1
vote
1answer
338 views
Meaning of とうとうりん
三角標のように それはだんだんはっきりして、とうとうりんとうごかないようになり濃い鋼の野原にまっすぐにすきっと立ったのです
Is とうとうりん here meaning finally? And what about りん?
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vote
1answer
172 views
Is there a difference between とろっとろ and とろとろ?
Please help me understand what mean とろっとろ in this sentense「あのとろっとろの猫撫で声で」. May I translate とろっとろ like "looking sleepy" or it's meaning only "soft / runny"?
Person A: 悪い男か何人泣かしとんねん
あのとろっとろの猫なで声で
...
3
votes
3answers
507 views
onomatopoeia for cluelessness
Is there an オノマトペ for when you're absolutely clueless or expected to do something, but cannot?
5
votes
2answers
197 views
What does “グジュグジュ” mean?
Found it here. https://www.hostfamily2012.com/3657.html
コッカーのムーさん
お耳の中、グジュグジュ・・汚れ改善したいですね！！
お肌は大丈夫かなぁ～今日も大人しくできました～>^_^<
カットもOKかなぁ～！！
I've tried looking it up in as many ...
1
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1answer
147 views
What sound does a monkey make?
What is the hiragana sound that monkeys make in Japanese (like わんわん for dogs)?
6
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1answer
660 views
What does にへら mean when beginning a sentence?
For context, the sentence is
にへら、という気の抜けた笑顔。
And the sentence before is
そこまで考えて、胸内にふと一人の人物の顔が浮かんだ。
The character whose monologue this is is spacing out during a movie thinking about his recent past, ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
What does のそ mean in this picture?
What does のそ mean in this picture?
A friend of mine said that it was "a moment later...", but I'm not really sure if that's the real meaning. What does this annotation mean?
4
votes
1answer
514 views
What does ゆーか mean?
In sentence:
見ず知らず子供を助けるほど、お節介とゆーか、親切ってほどでもない。
I searched jsho, weblio and googled it and nothing. What does it mean? Is this some kind of abbreviation, or onomatopoeia?
5
votes
1answer
244 views
What does むわりと mean?
I was reading something and saw the following:
小さな和室で、古い造りなので風呂とトイレは別になっている。換気があまりよくないので、白羽さんの入った後の風呂場のドアから、湿気と湯気がむわりと部屋にたちこめていた。
I can't find むわり or むわりと in any dictionaries. I'm guessing むわりと ...
1
vote
1answer
331 views
The meaning of ぐっぽぐっぽ ; グッポグッポ ; グポグポ(?) ; ぐぽぐぽ(?)
I came across this ぐっぽぐっぽ word while reading doujinshi.
"ぐっぽぐっぽセッXス穴ほじくってる"
From the images shown when I searched for its meaning, it seems to be the sound made when sucking something.
Does it have ...
0
votes
1answer
160 views
What does ピクンッ mean?
I came across an image on Deviantart that has Japanese text written on it, so I am trying to translate it. You can see it here: https://www.deviantart.com/ryonapage/art/Dominated-710481249 (Warning: ...
2
votes
1answer
172 views
What is the meaning of バキン?
In 亜人 manga I've found the word バキン, at least it seems to me so (look at the picture), but I've only found the translation of the word バキッ baki (crack) and パキン pakin (also crack). But on the picture I ...
4
votes
1answer
164 views
What does グパ mean?
There is a sound グパ in this manga (a plant tries to eat someone and makes グパ sound), but I can't find it in dictionaries and understand what it means and how it can be translated. What does グパ mean? ...
3
votes
1answer
586 views
What is the Japanese sound word for the clinking of money?
What is the sound of coins being handed from one person to another?
2
votes
1answer
192 views
Meaning of メリ and メリ子
Context: in the manga Dead Tube, a girl is being raped while being filmed. Among the comments on the video, some users wrote メリメリメリメリ and メリ子メリ子.
What is the meaning of the two comments? To me it ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
What does ふぬぬぬぬ mean?
負っけないぞ～！ ふぬぬぬぬ……
Is it the same as "ぬぬぬ…" onomatopoeia which uses when you're in a tight spot?
4
votes
1answer
214 views
What is the meaning of カックン in the following sentence?
Context: before a boxing match begins, a boxer named Kamishiro says this referring to his opponent:
勘だけど あのカックン野郎… 刺せるヤツだ
What is the meaning of カックン? The opponent was a thug in the past and he ...
3
votes
1answer
202 views
what is the meaning of this sfx/onomatopoeia? ダシーン
dashi (ダシ) sometimes is for "run"
but this sfx is nothing about running!
example (the ball is a dough, they make bread)
2
votes
1answer
160 views
What does ダンッ mean?
What does ダンッ mean in the following sentence from my book?
僕はナイフを投げかけた姿勢のまま、ダンッと女の子に体当たりをかけた。
2
votes
2answers
96 views
びりびりに破いた - why they come together
So I found this sentence
彼は彼女の写真をびりびりに破いた
Looking at jisho, びりびり got translate as torn (adj) and 破く to tear (v).
Its the first time I'm seeing both of these words but I don't understand why it is ...
9
votes
3answers
271 views
The difference between へとへと and くたくた
I am studying Japanese オノマトペ and I came across two that are very similar. The definitions I found online, and the examples sentences in the book don't align, so I am confused about the 使い方。
On this ...
7
votes
1answer
180 views
Pitch accent variations within giongo words like ふわふわ
According to the NHK Accent dictionary, the pitch accent for ふわふわ can be:
(a) ふわふわ {HLLL} or (b) ふわふわ {LHHH}
It is (a) when する is attached and it is (b) when used as a simple adjective.
First, ...
2
votes
1answer
181 views
Meaning of フリッカー and ニュル in the following sentence
Context: a boxer is having a hard time understanding the punches of his tall opponent.
ノッポのリード… フリッカーでもねェのに この〝ニュル〟…… 読めねっ…
Does フリッカー refer to フリッカージャブ? If so, could the first part of the ...
3
votes
1answer
116 views
Does anyone knows the meaning of “モゾリと”?
An example of where it was found:
慌てて口元を塞ぎながら、部屋の中でモゾリと動いていた影に、慌てて蹴りを入れる。
2
votes
1answer
117 views
What does どぼり mean?
I know that it's an onomatopoeia, and it's an adverb that can take the と particle.
The context goes something like this. There is an object. The object in question is filled with a liquid. The object ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there an onomatopoeia of mumbling in japanese?
I was watching an anime, and they use repetitions of "ブツ" everytime a character is mumbling. Is this the rule for japanese or it's just something made up for a particular anime/manga?
3
votes
2answers
307 views
Meaning of シャキン or シャッキン used to support someone
In a manga, before the start of a boxing match, one of the boxers looks at his friends in the audience and says:
シャキ〜ン
Then they reply more or less in the same way:
しゃっきい〜ん
What is the meaning ...
1
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1answer
133 views
What is 「オンギャー」?
It is doubtless onomatopoeia, and shows up in a version of the story about a woman ghost who buys candy for a child each night. What does it represent?
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vote
1answer
113 views
What is this ザガガッと sound based off?
The Problem
Currently reading a passage where a Goblin's sword and the Main Protaganist's Dagger just clashes together and it gives this sentence:
鎧{よろい}ゴブの剣がザガガッとダガーの刃の上を走って、鍔{つば}でも止められない、etc...
...
1
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1answer
183 views
とこ, ってやつ, sneezing and other considerations
I'm having trouble with a bit of dialogue. I'm pretty sure I have the first part nailed down, but I am wondering about the choice of words in it.
It all starts with character A "saying" this: へくちっ
...
2
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1answer
138 views
Translation check そろそろキツい and だかんねえ
Context. Characters A and B have just gotten defeated by younger character C. And it has been about a year or so since they last met.
A: 若い子の相手は、そろそろキツいわー
B: 年だかんねえ、あたしたちも。
My problem in ...
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0answers
50 views
Can と express a means as well? [duplicate]
For full context:
https://www.satorireader.com/articles/sanzu-no-kawa-episode-1-edition-m?sentenceID=SrOvSLFfSOyCJFzmEmFt
The sentence in question:
朝のまぶしい日差しを受けて、道路わきの林がキラキラとかがやいていた。
My attempt at ...
2
votes
1answer
436 views
Meaning of ぶつぶつ
I'm not sure how to formulate this question, but some words bother me. Here's a sentence for you :
彼女はまだぶつぶつと呟いている。
I often see these kinds of words and sometimes, like this one, I can't find what ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
Is the scream “gya” masculine and “kya” feminine?
I don't speak Japanese, but I notice in some manga (like Mr. Fullswing for example), male characters tend to scream "gya" or "guwa" while female characters tend to scream "kya".
Is it true that "gya" ...
0
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1answer
87 views
What is the sound of a rocket going off in Japanese?
when a rocket is launched during a take-off... what sound does it make and how is it written in Japanese?
2
votes
1answer
378 views
Is or was ピカドン used for lightning and thunder?
I've read that ピカドン (onomatopoeia for a flash and for a loud bang) is used for atomic bombs, but is it, or was it prior to Hiroshima, used to describe the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder?
2
votes
1answer
135 views
What does へろへろぷ mean?
I know what へろへろ means "spineless" or "limp", but what is へろへろぷ?
Context - これならソラリスの連中だって、
一擊で、へろへろぷ～、ですよ！
