Onomatopoeia is very hard to learn and study in Japanese language learning. Onomatopoeia is often used in daily Japanese conversations. I created a list of Japanese onomatopoeia based on what I see and hear often in Japanese conversation and in Manga. I hope this list of Japanese onomatopoeia helps you to learn onomatopoeia in Japanese.
Table of Contents
Usage of Onomatopeia in Japanese
Japanese onomatopeias are categorized into adverbs, nouns, and adjectives.
When a particle ends with “な” which is na-adjective (), and “と” is adverb.
intro of Japanese adjectives
There are two kinds of Japanese adjectives:
1) い i-type adjectives.
2) な na-type adjectives.
The usage of these adjectives are modifylying nouns as below.
e.x
1) きれいな写真 /kirei na shashin/
beautiful picture
2) おもしろい人 /omoshiroi hito/
funny person
Japanese onomatopoeia is categorized into な na-type adjectives.
advervial onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeina + と + verbs
The list below includes English onomatopoeia with Japanese translation followed by the part of speech.
List of Japanese Onomatopoeia
| English | Japanese | POS (part of speech) |
| amble | ぶらぶら/burabura/ | adv |
| arf | ワン /wan/ | adv |
| baa / maa | メー /mee/ | adv |
| babble | バブー /baboo/ | adv |
| baggy | だぶだぶ/dabudabu/、だぼだぼ/dabodabo/ | adj |
| bam | バン /ban/ | adv |
| bang | バタン /batan/ , バン/bang/ | adv |
| blab / blabber | ベラベラ /berabera/ | adv |
| bleep | ピーッ /pii/ | adv |
| blink | ピカピカ /pikapika/ | adj |
| bubble | ぶくぶく。/bukubuku/ | adv |
| buzz | ブンブン /bunbun/ | adv |
| chump | ムシャムシャ。/mushamusha/ | adv |
| clack | カタカタ。カチカチ。 | adv |
| crackle | パチパチ。パチパチ。（たき火などが燃える音） | adv |
| dillydally | ぐずぐず。 のらくら。 | adv |
| ding | （鐘、金属などが）ガンガン | adv |
| ding-dong | （鐘などが）ジャンジャン、ガランガラン | adv |
| disgusted | ムカムカする | adv |
| dizzy | フラフラする | adv |
| dribble | ポタポタ | adv |
| drip | ぽとぽと | adv |
| drizzle | パラパラ | adv |
| dump | ガミガミ | adv |
| flicker | （光などの明滅を指して）チラチラ。ピカピカ。 | adv |
| flip-flop | バタバタ。パタパタ。 | adv |
| fluffy | ふわふわ | adj |
| flump | ドシン。ドサリ。 | adv |
| flush | ドバっと | adv |
| flutter | ひらひら。 | adv |
| fuss | そわそわ | adv |
| glitter | キラキラ | adv |
| glug | ゴボゴボ。ゴクゴク | adv |
| gnaw | ガリガリ | adv |
| gobble / gobble up | がつがつ | adv |
| groan | ぶつぶつ | adv |
| grumble | ぶつぶつ | adv |
| grunt | ブーブー | adv |
| guffaw | ゲラゲラ | adv |
| itch | むずむず | adv |
| jabber | ぺちゃくちゃ | adv |
| jingle | チリンチリン。（鈴などの音） | adv |
| knock | コンコン | adv |
| lap | ピチャピチャ | adv |
| limp | ぐにゃぐにゃ | adv |
| moan | ぶつぶつ | adv |
| mumble | もごもご | adv |
| munch | ムシャムシャ | adv |
| plash | （水などの）パシャッ。ピシャッ。 | adv |
| plod away | （仕事・勉強などを）こつこつ | adv |
| pow | ボカッ。ドカッ。パーン。バーン。パン。バン。 | adv |
| prickle | ちくちく | adv |
| ramble | ぶらぶら | adv |
| ribbit | ケロケロ。（カエル） | adv |
| rip | ビリビリ | adv |
| rumble | ゴロゴロ | adv |
| rustle | ガサガサ | adv |
| shaggy | ぼさぼさ | adj |
| shiny | ピカピカ。つやつや。てかてか。 | adj |
| sip | ちびちび | adv |
| sizzle | ジュージュー。 | adv |
| smooth | （表面などが）ツルツル | adj |
| snicker | くすくす | adv |
| sniff | くんくん | adv |
| snuffle | フンフン | adv |
| snugly | ぬくぬく | adv |
| sparkle | キラキラ | adv |
| splash | バシャバシャ | adv |
| splutter | パチパチ | adv |
| squeak | ちゅーちゅー。 | adv |
| squeal | キーキー | adv |
| squish | ガボガボ | adv |
| sticky | ねばねば | adv |
| sting | ちくちく | adv |
| trudge | とぼとぼ | adv |
| twinkle | ピカピカ、キラキラ | adv |
| twitch | ぴくぴく | adv |
| wheeze | ゼイゼイ | adv |
| whimper | しくしく | adv |
| wimpy | へなへな | adv |
| wobble | ぐらぐら | adv |
Enjoy reading manga!!
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