Onomatopoeia and Mimetic Words for Better Japanese Conversation

21/05/20253 min read

Translated from the Vietnamese original. View the original.

Onomatopoeic and mimetic words in Japanese help describe images, sounds, actions, etc. more clearly, realistically and vividly.

No.	Japanese	English
1	ぺらぺら	fluently, smoothly
2	のろのろ	slowly, sluggishly
3	するする	smoothly, quickly
4	めちゃめちゃ	excessively
5	はらはら	feeling guilty, uneasy
6	すらすら	smoothly, without a hitch
7	とうとう	finally, in the end, at last
8	たびたび	frequently, repeatedly
9	ますます	furthermore
10	ぼろぼろ	tattered, in rags
11	ぺこぺこ	starving
12	なかなか	never getting around to
13	びしょびしょ	soaked, dripping wet
14	どきどき	nervous, excited
15	きらきら	glittering
16	そわそわ	restless, uneasy
17	ごろごろ	idle, lazy
18	ちかちか	flickering, dimly
19	まずまず	fairly, so-so
20	ぴかぴか	sparkling
21	くらくら	dizzy, dazzled
22	ぞろぞろ	dragging on, in droves
23	ぽちゃぽちゃ	splashing water
24	たらたら	drip, drip
25	ずきずき	throbbing, aching
26	おいおい	hey, hey
27	はきはき	clear, distinct, sharp
28	くすくす	smiling
29	ぐちゃぐちゃ	soggy, mushy
30	ぐらぐら	loose, rickety
31	ずけずけ	bluntly, flatly
32	たまたま	occasionally, sometimes, rarely
33	ごくごく	gulping (a drink)
34	ちびちび	sipping
35	しくしく	sobbing
36	ぎりぎり	just right, just enough, at the limit
37	わんわん	bursting out (crying)
38	ごしごし	scrubbing, rubbing
39	ぱたぱた	whooshing, whizzing
40	べたべた	sticky
41	ぽたぽた	giggling
42	ぼさぼさ	hair like a bird's nest
43	すたすた	nimble, quick
44	ぴょんぴょん	jumping up and down
45	ずるずる	dragging on endlessly
46	ひらひら	floating, soaring
47	ぐうぐう	fast asleep, sleeping deeply
48	げらげら	laughing ha ha
49	のろのろ	slow, sluggish
50	にこにこ	smiling brightly
51	ばらばら	messy, in pieces
52	ぎらぎら	dazzling
53	ぷかぷか	floating
54	うとうと	dozing off
55	ぎゅうぎゅう	packed, crammed
56	もともと	originally, in the first place
57	ざあざあ	pouring, roaring
58	ぶくぶく	puff, puff (blowing air)
59	もぐもぐ	chewing quietly (without opening the mouth or making noise)
60	ぬるぬる	slippery, slimy
61	ばくばく	see previous lesson
62	しゅうしゅう	bubbling (boiling water)
63	ことこと	cooked through, simmered soft
64	ぎゅっぎゅっ	kneading, squeezing
65	ふわふわ	soft, supple
66	ひりひり	stinging, tingling
67	びしょびしょ	soaking wet
68	びりびり	rip, rip (tearing paper)
69	すやすや	sleeping soundly, out cold
70	ひらひら	fluttering, floating
71	わいわい	noisy, bustling
72	ころころ	rolling, rumbling (round objects)
73	ちらちら	sneakily, glimpsing (seeing), faintly (hearing)
74	ゆらゆら	swaying
75	とんとん	knock knock, clack clack
76	ざくざく	rasp, rasp (cutting, planing)
77	ぱんぱん	clap clap (applause)
78	くしゃくしゃ	crumpling, wrinkling
79	ふらふら	staggering, tottering
80	きょろきょろ	restless, fidgety, unable to sit still
81	えーんえーん	wailing (crying loudly)
82	がらがら	gargling
83	ぶつぶつ	whispering, groaning, muttering, grumbling
84	こんこん	repeatedly, over and over; continuously
85	くるくる	wrapping round and round
86	くんくん	sniffing
87	かちゃかちゃ	click click, clack clack