The Japanese Language Has A Lot of Onomatopoeia

The Other Side of Japanese | 日本語にはたくさんのオノマトペがある

The Japanese Language Has A Lot of Onomatopoeia

In Japanese there are many words for things like the sounds found in nature and animal calls. For instance, these are things like dogs barking wannwann (bow wow) and cats meowing nya-nya- (meow). Animal calls sound like this to Japanese people. There are also many words that express situations such as: ame ga zaazaa furu (It’s pouring down with rain), kaze ga hyuuhyuu fuku (the wind is blowing hard). These words are called onomatope, which is taken from the English word “onomatopoeia.” Since onomatopoeia is frequently used in manga, most Japanese learners will be familiar with it. Many onomatope words are also used to describe human behavior. For instance, when talking about laughing, the terms kerakera and geragera (which both indicate a big laugh) are often used. In addition, laughter can be expressed in different ways that each have a different nuance using the characters ha, hi, fu, he, ho. hahaha (ordinary laughter), hihihi (diabolic laughter), fufufu (fearless laughter / cute feminine laughter), hehehe (mischievous laughter, or embarrassed laughter), hohoho (woman’s refined laughter). It is said that the Japanese language has four times more onomatopoeic words than English and more than any other language. Japanese onomatopoeia is deeply related to the traditional Japanese religion of Shinto in which natural phenomena, including animals, are worshiped as deities.

日本語にほんご
nihonngo
Japanese
には、
niha,
in
自然界しぜんかいおと
shizennkai no oto
nature found in <sound>
ya
and
動物どうぶつのなきごえ
doubutsu no nakigoe
animal calls
などの
nado no
for things like
おと
oto wo
(the) sounds
あらわ
arawasu
[expressing]
言葉ことば
kotoba ga
words
たくさん
takusann
many
あります。
arimasu.
there are
たとえば
tatoeba
for instance
いぬ
inu ga
dogs
ワンワンわんわん
wann wann
wannwann (bow wow)
ほえる、
hoeru,
barking
ねこ
nekoga
(and) cats
ニャーニャーにゃーにゃー
nya- nya-
nya-nya- (meow)
なく、
naku,
meowing
のように
nououni
like
使つかわれます。
tsukawaremasu.
(these) are things <used>
動物どうぶつのなきごえ
doubutsu no nakigoe ha
animal calls
日本人にほんじんには
ninhonnjinn niha
Japanese people to
このように
konoyouni
like these
こえます。
kikoemasu.
sound
あめ
ame ga
rain
ざあざある」、
zaa zaa furu,
<it>’s pouring down with
かぜ
kaze ga
(the) wind
ひゅうひゅうく」、
hyuu hyuu fuku,
(is blowing hard)
のように
no youni
such as
状況じょうきょう
jyoukyou wo
situations
表現ひょうげんする
hyougenn suru
(that) express
言葉ことば
kotoba
words
mo
also
たくさん
takusann
many
あります。
arimasu.
there are
これらは、
koreraha,
these (words)
英語えいご
eigo
(the) English
から
kara
from
れた
toriireta
(which) is taken
言葉ことば
kotoba
word
オノマトペおのまとぺ
onomatope
onomatope (onomatopoeia)
ばれます。
to yobaremasu.
are called
まんが
mannga
manga
にも
nimo
in
ひんぱんに
hinnpann ni
frequently
使つかわれる
tsukawareru
(onomatopoeia) is used
ことから、
kotokara,
since
おおくの
ookuno
most
日本語にほんご学習者がくしゅうしゃには
nihonngo gakushuu sha niha
Japanese learners
なじみが
najimiga
familiar with (it)
あるでしょう。
orudeshou.
will be
オノマトペおのまとぺ表現ひょうげん
onomatope hyougenn ha
onomatope words
人間にんげん行為こうい
ninngenn no koui
human behavior
にも
nimo
also
たくさん
takusann
many
使つかわれています。
tsukawarete imasu.
are used (to describe)
たとえば、
tatoeba,
for instance
わら表現ひょうげんでは
warau hyougenn deha
when talking about laughing
「けらけら」
kerakera
(the terms) kerakera
「げらげら」が
geragera ga
(and) geragera
よく
yoku
often
使つかわれます。
tsukawaremasu.
are used
どちらも
dochiramo
which both
大笑おおいすることを
oowarai surukoto wo
(a) big laugh
意味いみします。
imi shimasu.
indicate
また、
mata,
in addition
「は、ひ、ふ、へ、ほ」の
ha, hi, fu, he, ho no
ha, hi, fu, he, ho
文字もじ
moji wo
(the) characters
使つかって、
tsukatte,
using
わらいを
warai wo
laughter
それぞれ
sorezore
each
ことなる
kotonaru
(have a) different
ニュアンスにゅあんす
nyuannsu de
nuance
表現ひょうげんできます。
hyougenn dekimasu.
expressed (in different ways that) can be
ははは
hahaha
hahaha
普通ふつうわらい)
futsuu no warai
ordinary laughter
ひひひ」
hihihi
hihihi
悪者わるものわらい)
warumono no warai
diabolic laughter
ふふふ
fufufu
fufufu
不敵ふてきわらい。
futeki na warai
fearless laughter
女性じょせい
jyosei no
women
かわいいわらい)
kawaii warai
cute laughter
へへへ 
hehehe
hehehe
(いたずらっぽいわらい。
itazurappoi warai.
mischievous laughter
わらい)
tere warai
embarrassed laughter
ほほほ
hahoho
hohoho
女性じょせい上品じょうひんわらい)
jyosei no jyouhinn na warai
women’s refined laughter
日本語にほんごには
nihonngo niha
(the) Japanese language
英語えいご
eigo no
English
オノマトペおのまとぺ
onomatope ga
onomatopoeic words
あり、
ari,
has and
世界せかい一番いちばんおお言語げんご
sekai de ichibann ooi genngo
more than any other language
to
that
いわれます。
iwaremasu.
(it) is said
日本語にほんご
nihonngo no
Japanese
オノマトペおのまとぺ
onomatope ha、
onomatopoeia
動物どうぶつ
doubutsu wo
animals
ふく
fukumu
including
自然しぜん
shizenn wo
natural phenomena
神々かみがみ
kamigami
deities
として
toshite
as
崇拝すうはいしてきた
suuhai shitekita
are worshiped
日本にほん古来こらい
nihonn korai no
traditional Japanese
宗教しゅうきょう
shuukyou,
(the) religion (of)
神道しんとう
shinntou
Shinto (in which)
to
to
ふか
fukai
deeply
つながりがあるといわれます。
tsunagari ga aru to iwaremasu.
is [said to be] related

More from Hiragana Times

Learn anytime, anywhere and experience more on app

Explore Japanese culture with Hiragana Times

Subscribe
00:00 / 00:00