Ordspår21.04 Onomatopoeia
Japanese onomatopoeia (オノマトペ) bundle sound, motion, and emotion into short syllable pairs. This note keeps the English explanations close to the Japanese words so practice sessions in 21.02 Post-Class Note stay grounded in real examples rather than memorised lists.
How the system is organised
| Family | Japanese term | What it covers | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound effects | 擬音語 (gion-go) / 擬声語 (gisei-go) | Noises made by things or living creatures. | 雨がざあざあ降る — “The rain is pouring down.” |
| Visual or physical states | 擬態語 (gitai-go) / 擬容語 (giyō-go) | Movements and textures with no audible sound. | 雲がどんよりしている — “The clouds are heavy and overcast.” |
| Feelings & sensations | 擬情語 (gijō-go) | Emotions, pain, and internal reactions. | 胸がドキドキする — “My heart is pounding.” |
Keep pronunciation notes in 21.09 Pitch Accent and Lyric Drills when a word’s pitch differs from the neutral 東京 standard.
Common patterns to watch
1. Repeating pairs (ABAB)
Words like ゴロゴロ or キラキラ repeat the same syllables to express continuous action. Swap to the shorter ゴロッ or キラッ forms when you need a one-off burst.
2. Final “っ” for quick bursts
Ending with a small っ (e.g., ガツッ, サクッ) signals an instant impact. I use this form in cooking notes when describing a single bite or a sharp sound.
3. Final “ん” or “り” for lingering states
Forms such as しんと, ごろん, or ゆったり describe how something settles after the action. They are handy when writing diary entries or describing quiet moments.
4. Clear vs. voiced consonants
Swapping き for ぎ, or さ for ざ, changes the scale and mood. キラキラ feels light and delicate; ギラギラ feels harsh and overpowering. I log both versions together so the nuance sticks.
Sample sentences you can reuse
| Situation | Japanese | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Rainy commute | 電車を待つ間、雨がぽつぽつ降ってきた。 | “While I waited for the train, the rain started falling in little drops.” |
| Busy office | 今日はオフィスがざわざわしていて集中できない。 | “The office was buzzing today, so I couldn’t focus.” |
| Family dinner | 祖母のカレーはいつもぐつぐつ煮込まれていて、部屋がいい香りになる。 | “Grandma’s curry always simmers away, filling the house with a good smell.” |
| Presentation nerves | 発表の前は手のひらがじっとりしてしまう。 | “Right before a presentation my palms get clammy.” |
Copy the phrases you actually use into interview-and-zatsudan-free-talk so tutors can correct the register.
Grammar pairings that feel natural
- Adverb + と — 雷がごろごろと鳴り始めた。 (“Thunder started rumbling.”)
- Adverb + に — シャツがびしょびしょに濡れた。 (“My shirt got completely soaked.”)
- Noun modifier + の — ふわふわのパンケーキが食べたい。 (“I’m craving fluffy pancakes.”)
- Verb + する — 子どもたちがわいわいする声が聞こえる。 (“I can hear the kids chattering excitedly.”)
When a phrase works especially well, record the whole sentence in your spaced-repetition deck instead of memorising the isolated word.
Study tips
- Shadow short news clips or song choruses, then write the onomatopoeia you hear in romaji and kana before checking the transcript.
- Group new words by theme (weather, emotions, cooking) so they appear in the right context the next time you speak.
- During tutor sessions, ask for natural alternatives; sometimes a synonym like しっとり replaces a direct translation that sounds odd in Japanese.
References
- ごいりょく.com オノマトペ辞典 — Usage notes, pitch accent, and example audio.
- 早稲田大学 オノマトペ辞典 — Corpus-backed lists grouped by theme.
- NHK ことばのハンドブック — Editorial guidance on casual vs. formal register.