ONOMATOPOEIA – LEARNING JAPANESE

In the Japanese language, onomatopoeias are a fundamental part of daily communication, so the more you know, the better you can speak and understand it!

Here we present a small list of onomatopoeia that are widely used in daily life in Japan:

• ゴポゴポ Gopo gopo – is the sound of bubbles in the water
• ゴシゴシ Goshi goshi – to brush, scrub
• フワフワ Fuwa fuwa – fluffy, padded
• ナデナデ Swim swim – the sound of stroking (to pets)
• グルグル Guru guru – the sound of spinning
• ピカピカ Pika pika – shimmering, so clean that it “shines”
• ヌルヌル Nuru nuru – sound for slimy things
• ペロペロ But but – the sound of licking
• サラサラ Sara sara – silky, soft, flowing
• シトシト Shito shito – the sound of falling rain
• ニコニコ Nico nico – the sound of smiling

What other onomatopoeias do you know?