オノマトペ -Onomatopoeia No. 3

21st July – 文月

オノマトペ (=Onomatopoeia) describes sounds, moves, conditions in words, especially in Japanese there are heaps オノマトペ exist used in everyday conversation. This blog previously has introduced about オノマトペ several times and this is going to be No. 3!

Many Japanese use オノマトペ properly in the different occasions – adapting オノマトペ to explain exact situation. For instance, just talking about the verb ‘walk’ =歩く (Aruku) can use following オノマトペ to describe the legit situations:

動詞：歩く　(Verb: Walk)

1. てくてく歩く (Teku-teku aruku): continuously walking the long distance, cheerfully

2. すたすた歩く(Suta-suta aruku): walk lightly and quickly

3. よちよち歩く(Yochi-yochi aruku): babies trying to walk

4. うろうろ歩く(Uro-uro aruku): walking the same places without purpose, wandering around

5. どすどす歩く (Dosu-dosu aruku): making loud noise while walking (floor vibration), when huge person walks, or angry person walks

6. とぼとぼ歩く(Tobo-tobo aruku): walk sadly and slowly, downhearted

7. のそのそ歩く (Noso-noso aruku): slow and dull walk

8. ふらふら歩く(Fura-fura aruku): nearly fall, sick and unstable walk

9. ぶらぶら歩く(Bura-bura aruku): walk around without purpose, stroll around

10. とことこ歩く(Toko-toko aruku): walking with short and quick steps, lightly

and more!

Just talking about walking, there are so many different オノマトペ to describe the details of the conditions. More examples are:

動詞：食べる (Taberu=Eat)

-ガツガツ食べる (Gatsu-gatsu taberu): devouring, when very hungry and starving

-パクパク食べる (Paku-paku taberu): eat vigorously without stopping

食べる

-クチャクチャ食べる (Kucha-kucha taberu): eating with mouth open, making chewing sounds

-ムシャムシャ食べる (Musha-musha taberu): enagetically eating quickly, when hungry

動詞：話す (Hanasu=Speak)

-はきはき話す (Haki-haki hanasu): talk cheerfully, clearly

-ぼそぼそ話す (Boso-boso hanasu): talk unclearly with low voice

-ぺらぺら話す (Pera-pera hanasu): non-stopping talk, word comes out one after another

-ぶつぶつ話す (Butsu-butsu hanasu): mumbling, complaining

-ひそひそ話す (Hiso-hiso hanasu): whispering, talk behind people’s back

-くどくど話す (Kudo-kudo hanasu): talk persistently, talk slow and long

-ずばずば話す (Zuba-zuba hanasu): talk without hesitation, talk mercilessly

オノマトペ is very useful when describing one’s exact feelings, moves and occasions. BUT, now it is obvious that learning Japanese needs a lot effort!