Onomatopoeic phrases are widely used in news headlines because they are perfect to describe things using short words. They are frequently used in advertising because of their catchy, appealing sounds. Manga (Japanese comics) probably couldn't exist without them.
English also has onomatopoeic phrases, but their use is limited, more practical and not as poetic as those found in Japanese. Japanese onomatopoeic phrases are frequently use by poets or writers of Japanese literature.
Expressions to describe "laughing"Laughing can be described by different verbs in English. However, Japanese has only one "laughing" verb, warau. It can't be used to describe how you laugh without the addition of onomatopoeic phrases. Here are onomatopoeic phrases that describe laughing. Some of the phrases are combined with the verb "warau" and some with the verb "suru (to do)".
| kusu kusu くすくす | to giggle |
| gera gera げらげら | to laugh loudly, to guffaw |
| niko niko にこにこ | to smile |
| niya niya にやにや | to grin |
| nita nita にたにた | to smirk |
| ahaha, hahaha あはは、ははは | the sound of loud laughter |
Expressions to describe "sleeping"
Here are some onomatopoeic phrases to describe sleeping.
| kokkuri kokkuri こっくり こっくり | nod off |
| guu guu ぐうぐう | fast asleep and snoring |
| gussuri ぐっすり | sleep soundly |
| manjiri まんじり | not sleep a wink |
| suya suya すやすや | sleep peacefully |
| toro toro とろとろ | doze off |
| uto uto うとうと | doze off |
Learn how they are used in a sentence. Some of the phrases are combined with the verb "neru (to sleep)" and some with the verb "suru (to do)".
| Obaasan wa kokkuri kokkuri inemuri o shiteiru. おばあさんはこっくりこっくり 居眠りをしている｡ | Grandma is nodding off. |
| Kare wa futon ni hairu to sugu ni guu guu nemutte shimatta. 彼は布団に入るとすぐに ぐうぐう眠ってしまった｡ | He fell asleep as soon as he went to bed. |
| Gussuri neta node kibun ga ii. ぐっすり寝たので気分がいい｡ | I slept like a log, so I feel great. |
| Hitobanjuu manjiri to mo shinakatta. 一晩中まんじりともしなかった｡ | I was wide awake all night. |
| Akachan ga suya suya nemutteiru. 赤ちゃんがすやすや眠っている｡ | The baby is sleeping peacefully. |
| Shiranai ma ni toro toro nemutteita. 知らない間にとろとろ眠っていた｡ | I was dozing off without noticing. |
| Hinata de uto uto shiteita. ひなたでうとうとしていた｡ | I was dozing off in the sun. |
Hunger, Eating and Taste
Hunger
| peko peko ペコペコ ( be awfully hungry) | Asagohan o tabenakatta node, onaka ga peko peko da. 朝ご飯を食べなかったので、おなかがペコペコだ｡ ( Since I didn't have breakfast, I am starving.) |
| guu guu ぐうぐう ( stomach rumbles) | Kaigichuu ni onaka ga guu guu natte, hazukashikatta. 会議中におなかがぐうぐうなって、恥ずかしかった｡ ( I was embarrassed that my stomach rumbled during the meeting.) |
| kara kara からから ( very dry) | Nodo ga kara kara datta node, biiru ga totemo oishiku kanjirareta. のどがからからだったので、 ビールがとてもおいしく感じられた｡ ( Since my throat was very dry, beer tasted very good.) |
Eating
| gatsu gatsu がつがつ ( hungrily, voraciously) | Onaka ga totemo suiteita node, gatsu gatsu tabeta. おなかがとてもすいていたので、がつがつ食べた｡ ( I was so hungry, and I ate voraciously.) |
| paku paku パクパク ( eat in big mouthfuls, take quick bites) | Kanojo wa onigiri o oishisouni paku paku tabeta. 彼女はおにぎりをおいしそうにパクパク食べた｡ ( She took quick, pleasurable bites of rice balls.) |
| perori ぺろり ( eat up) | Kare wa oomori no udon o perori to tairagete shimatta. 彼は大盛りのうどんをぺろりと平らげてしまった｡ (He has eaten up a large serving of noodles.) |
Taste
| assari あっさり ( light, delicate) | Nihon-ryouri wa chuuka-ryouri yori assari shiteiru. 日本料理は中華料理よりあっさりしている｡ ( Japanese foods are lighter than Chinese foods.) |
| sappari さっぱり ( refreshing) | Soumen wa sappari shite ite, natsu niwa mottekoi no tabemono da. そうめんはさっぱりしていて、 夏にはもってこいの食べ物だ｡ (Soumen is an ideal food for summer, because of its refreshing taste.) |
| kotteri こってり ( rich, heavy food) | Kono shichuu wa kotteri shiteiru. このシチューはこってりしている｡ ( This stew is very rich.) |
| karatto からっと ( crisp) | Karatto agatta tenpura wa totemo oishii. からっと揚げたてんぷらはとてもおいしい｡ ( The crispy tempura is very tasty.) |
| piritto ピリッと ( spicy, hot) | Karashi o tuskesugita node, shita ni piritto kita. からしをつけすぎたので、舌にピリッときた｡ ( I put on too much mustard, and it burned my tongue.) |
Others
| tappuri たっぷり (full, plenty) | Asagohan o tappuri tabeta. 朝ご飯をたっぷり食べた｡ ( I had a big breakfast.) |
| muka muka むかむか ( feel nauseous) | Nomisugi de mune ga muka muka shita. 飲みすぎで胸がむかむかした｡ ( I drank too much and felt nauseous.) |
| unzari うんざり ( fed up, sick and tired) | Mainichi onaji ryouri de unzari da. 毎日同じ料理でうんざりだ｡ ( I am sick of the same dish every day.) |
