Old book shelf from a librart

Few features of Japanese are as colorful as onomatopoeia. Unlike English, where onomatopoeia is mostly limited to sound effects (buzz, bang), Japanese uses it to express feelings, textures, movements, weather, and states of mind. These words are short, rhythmic, and often doubled, making them easy to remember and fun to use.

Here’s a guide to both common expressions you’ll hear daily and quirky, specific ones that will enrich you vocabulary.

Common Japanese Onomatopoeias You’ll Hear Everywhere

• わくわく (waku waku): A bubbling feeling of excitement or anticipation.
  わくわくしながらプレゼントの箱を開けた。
  I excitedly opened the present box.

• どきどき (doki doki): The sound and feeling of a racing heartbeat, from nerves or thrill.
  テストの前でどきどきする。
  My heart races before the test.

• ピカピカ (pika pika): Shiny, sparkling, or brand new.
  新しい靴がぴかぴかだ。
  My new shoes are sparkling clean.

• ぐっすり (gussuri): Sleeping soundly and deeply.
  子どもはぐっすり眠っている。
  The child is fast asleep.

• ざあざあ (zaa zaa): The noisy rush of pouring rain.
  雨がざあざあ降っている。
  It’s raining heavily.

• ぐるぐる (guru guru): Turning round and round, spinning, or winding.
  頭がぐるぐる回る。
  My head is spinning.
  (Fans of Crayon Shin-chan will recognize this one—Shin-chan often shouts guru guru in his silly adventures.)

• しとしと (shito shito): Soft, steady drizzle; quiet, melancholic rain.
  梅雨の雨がしとしと降っている。
  The rainy season brings a gentle drizzle.

• もやもや (moya moya): A hazy, stuck, or uneasy feeling inside.
  心がもやもやして眠れない。
  I feel restless and can’t sleep.

• ヌルヌル (nuru nuru): Slimy, slippery texture—like fish or seaweed.
  この魚はヌルヌルしている。
  This fish feels slimy.

• ぎらぎら (gira gira): Harsh, glaring brightness, often unpleasant.
  太陽がぎらぎらと照りつける。
  The sun blazes down harshly.

• ちくちく (chiku chiku): Prickly or stinging sensation.
  毛糸のセーターがちくちくする。
  This wool sweater feels prickly.

• うとうと (uto uto): Light dozing or nodding off.
  電車の中でうとうとしてしまった。
  I dozed off on the train.

• ぞくぞく (zoku zoku): A shiver, from cold, fear, or excitement.
  ホラー映画を見てぞくぞくした。
  I got chills watching the horror movie.

• べたべた (beta beta): Sticky or clingy, physically or emotionally.
  夏は汗で体がべたべたする。
  My body gets sticky with sweat in summer.

• だらだら (dara dara): Moving lazily, dragging on without purpose.
  日曜日はだらだら過ごした。
  I spent Sunday lazing around.

• ふわふわ (fuwa fuwa): Soft, fluffy, or light, both physically and emotionally.
  パンケーキがふわふわだ。
  The pancakes are fluffy.

• いらいら (ira ira): Irritated, annoyed, or mentally on edge.
  待ち時間が長くていらいらする。
  I’m getting irritated because the wait is long.

• ひしひし (hishi hishi): A strong, steady feeling that slowly but unmistakably sinks in, often emotional or physical.
  責任の重さをひしひしと感じる。
  I feel the weight of the responsibility deeply sinking in.

• ピリピリ (piri piri): A sharp, prickly sensation, either physical or emotional, describing a tense, on-edge atmosphere.
  山椒が効いていて舌がピリピリする。
  The sansho pepper is strong and my tongue is tingling.

• ビリビリ (biri biri): A sharp electric shock, or the ripping, tearing sound of paper or fabric.
  紙がビリビリに破れた。
  The paper ripped apart with a tearing sound.

• -NSFW
• ムラムラ (mura mura): A vague but persistent feeling of sexual desire or frustration (otherwise known as “horny”).
  最近なんだかムラムラする。
  Lately, I’ve been feeling horny for no reason.

Types of Onomatopoeia

While there are thousands of onomatopoeic words in Japanese, they’re most often divided into just two broad groups:

• 擬音語 (giongo): Words that imitate actual sounds, whether made by people, animals, objects, or nature.

• 擬態語 (gitaigo): Words that describe states, feelings, textures, movements, or atmospheres, even when no real sound is involved.

Sometimes, they’re broken down even further into gitaigo for states and conditions, giyogo for movements and actions, and gijogo for inner feelings and emotional states.

Why It Matters

Japanese onomatopoeia isn’t just cute, it’s practical. It makes conversation livelier, captures subtle cultural nuance, and helps learners sound more natural. Whether you’re waku waku about a trip, stuck in moya moya thoughts, or enjoying a gussuri nap, these words turn everyday life into vivid sound.

You might also like reading our Fresh Ink translation series, where we publish the English-language debuts of Japanese literary texts.

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2011, updated for metropolisjapan.com in September 2025.