Common Japanese Onomatopoeia: Essential Words You’ll Hear Everywhere

July 5, 2025

If you spend any time in Japan, you’ll hear onomatopoeia everywhere: on TV, in everyday conversations, in manga, and even on product packaging. These words can be confusing at first, but they add a lot of color and nuance to the language.

Below you’ll find a list of the 107 common Japanese onomatopoeia, split by type. Use this as a reference whenever you get stuck or just want to sound a bit more natural when speaking or listening to Japanese.

If you want to keep this list in front of your eyes and finally learn Japanese onomatopoeia, check out our onomatopoeia poster, featuring all 107 words below and available for worldwide shipping!

擬音語 (giongo)

Imitate real sounds, like animal cries, natural noises, or object sounds.

Kana	Romaji	Meaning
ガチャ	gacha	Clank, click (e.g., door or lock)
ガラガラ	garagara	Rattling or empty-sounding
ゴックン	gokkun	Swallowing sound: Gulp
ゴホン	gohon	Loud coughing sound: Ahem
ザーザー	zāzā	Sound of heavy, continuous rain
サクサク	sakusaku	Crispy, crunchy
ズルズル	zuruzuru	Slurping noodles or dragging something
チュ	chu	Kissing sound: Mwah or smooch
チリン	chirin	Bell ringing lightly: Ting-a-ling
ドカーン	dokān	Big explosion sound: Boom!
ハクション	hakushon	Sneezing sound: Achoo!
バタバタ	batabata	Flapping (e.g. wings, clothes) or busy, frantic activity
バン	ban	Bang, loud clap

擬態語 (gitaigo)

Describe states, conditions, movements, or feelings without imitating real sounds.

Kana	Romaji	Meaning
あたふた	atafuta	Acting in a panic, flustered
あっさり	assari	Light in taste or easily, without fuss or resistance
いらいら	iraira	Feeling irritated, frustrated
うっかり	ukkari	Carelessly, by mistake
うとうと	utōto	Dozing off lightly
うろうろ	urōro	Wandering aimlessly
うんざり	unzari	Fed up, tired of something
がたがた	gatagata	Shaking (e.g., from fear, cold) or rattling noisily
ぎざぎざ	gizagiza	Jagged or rough-edged
きちんと	kichinto	Neatly, properly
ぎゅうぎゅう	gyūgyū	Packed tightly or overcrowded
きらきら	kirakira	Sparkling, glittering
ぎりぎり	girigiri	Just in time or barely enough
ぐっすり	gussuri	Sleeping deeply
ぐるぐる	guruguru	Spinning around and around
ごくごく	gokugoku	Repeated gulping, like chugging a drink
ごしごし	goshigoshi	Scrubbing hard
こそこそ	kosokoso	Sneakily or secretly
ごちゃごちゃ	gochagocha	Messy, cluttered or confusing
こつこつ	kotsukotsu	Working steadily and patiently over time
ごろごろ	gorogoro	Lazing around or thunder rumbling
さっぱり	sappari	Feeling refreshed or completely (e.g., completely forgotten)
さらさら	sarasara	Smooth or flowing lightly (e.g., hair)
じー	jī	Staring intently
しーん	shīn	Total silence (e.g., when a room goes quiet suddenly)
しくしく	shikushiku	Crying quietly
じたばた	jitabata	Making a scene or struggling
しっかり	shikkari	Firmly or reliably
しどろもどろ	shidoromodoro	Flustered and incoherent (especially when speaking)
じめじめ	jimejime	Damp and humid
じろじろ	jirojiro	Staring rudely
しんみり	shinmiri	Quiet and emotional or reflective
すかすか	sukasuka	Empty or full of gaps
すっきり	sukkiri	Feeling clear or refreshed
すらすら	surasura	Smoothly or easily (e.g., reading, writing)
そっと	sotto	Gently or quietly
たっぷり	tappuri	Plenty, a lot
だらだら	daradara	Lazily or slowly without purpose
ちらっ	chira	Glancing briefly
ちらほら	chirahora	Here and there, scattered
つるつる	tsurutsuru	Smooth and slippery
でこぼこ	dekoboko	Uneven or bumpy
どきどき	dokidoki	Heart pounding with excitement or fear
どたばた	dotabata	Rushing around noisily or in chaos
どんより	donyori	Gloomy or a sky covered by grey cloud
にこにこ	nikoniko	Smiling happily
にやにや	niyaniya	Grinning slyly or creepily
ぬるぬる	nurunuru	Slippery and slimy
ねばねば	nebaneba	Sticky and gooey
のろのろ	noronoro	Moving slowly
のんびり	nonbiri	Relaxed and unhurried
はっきり	hakkiri	Clearly or distinctly
ばったり	battari	Suddenly, unexpectedly encountering someone or collapsing
ばっちり	bacchiri	Perfectly, flawlessly
ばらばら	barabara	Scattered, broken apart, or uncoordinated
ぴかぴか	pikapika	Shiny and clean
びしょびしょ	bishobisho	Soaking wet
びっくり	bikkuri	Surprised, startled
ぴったり	pittari	Fits perfectly or just right
ひりひり	hirihiri	Stinging or burning (pain)
ひんやり	hinyari	Cool and refreshing
ふらふら	furafura	Dizzy, unsteady
ぶるぶる	buruburu	Shivering, trembling (e.g., from cold, fear)
ふんわり	funwari	Soft and fluffy
ぺらぺら	perapera	Fluent (language) or thin, flimsy
べろべろ	berobero	Drunk or licking heavily
ほっ	ho	Feeling relieved
ぼさぼさ	bosabosa	Messy or unkempt (especially hair)
ぼろぼろ	boroboro	Worn-out or falling apart
ぼんやり	bonyari	Absent-minded or vague
ムキムキ	mukimuki	Visibly very muscular
めちゃくちゃ	mechakucha	Messy, chaotic or extremely, crazy
もぐもぐ	mogumogu	Chewing with mouth full
モテモテ	motemote	Very popular (usually with the opposite sex)
ゆっくり	yukkuri	Slowly and calmly
ゆらゆら	yurayura	Swaying, wobbling
わいわい	waiwai	Noisy and lively (crowd or group)
わくわく	wakuwaku	Excited, thrilled with anticipation

擬声語 (giseigo)

Imitate voices or vocal sounds made by humans or animals.

Kana	Romaji	Meaning
カーカー	kākā	Cawing sound of a crow: Caw caw!
ガオー	gaō	Roar of a beast: Roar!
ケロケロ	kerokero	Frog’s croak: Ribbit ribbit!
コケコッコ	kokekokko	Rooster’s crow: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
ニャー	nyā	Cat’s meow: Meow
パオーン	paōn	Elephant sound
ヒヒイン	hihiin	Horse’s neigh: Neigh!
ピヨピヨ	piyopiyo	Chick’s chirping: Peep peep!
ブーブー	būbū	Pig’s oink: Oink oink, or complaining: Grumble grumble
ブンブン	bunbun	Buzzing sound (e.g., a mosquito flying): Bzzz
ホーホー	hōhō	Owl’s hoot: Hoo hoo
メェーメェー	mēmē	Sheep’s baa: Baa baa
モーモー	mōmō	Cow’s moo: Moo moo
ワンワン	wanwan	Dog’s bark: Woof woof