
Common Japanese Onomatopoeia: Essential Words You’ll Hear Everywhere
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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 |
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