Japanese Language: Sound Words

TODAY let's look at words that describe sounds and actions... English has a few (crack, bang...) but Japanese is littered with them. By knowing the most used sound / action words, you can communicate more efficiently and
naturally. In many places where in English we would use an adjective, in Japanese we should use these words.

The following are the ones I hear the most often. They're fun to say so have a go!

つるつる (tsuru tsuru)
MEANING: Very smooth; slippery
tsuru tsuru banana!!!

USAGE:
バナナでつるつるすべりますから気をつけてね。
banana de tsurutsuru suberimasu kara ki o tsukete ne.
Because the banana is slippery, be careful.

どきどき (doki doki)

MEANING: The effect of your heart beating; nervous;

USAGE:
納豆を見たらどきどきしました。
nattou wo mitara doki doki shimashita.
I saw Natto and my heart began to beat faster.

ぺらぺら (pera pera)
MEANING: fluently

USAGE:
日本語がぺらぺらになりたいです。
nihongo ga pera pera ni naritai desu.
I want to speak Japanese fluently!

じっと (jitto)
MEANING: Staring for a long time; motionless; absorbed

USAGE:
テレビでじっと相撲を見ました。
terebi de jitto sumou wo mimashita.
Absorbed, I watched sumo on TV

ばっちり(bacchiri)
MEANING: Precise; Just Right! Very good

USAGE:
試験はばっちりでした。
shiken wa bacchiri deshita.
I aced the test!

ぴったり (pittari)
MEANING: Perfectly Matched; On Target

USAGE:
その靴はシンデレラにぴったりでした。
sono kutsu wa shinderera ni pittari deshita.
Those shoes fit perfectly on Cinderella.

どんどん (don don)
MEANING: building up of events; progression of events

USAGE:
どんどん、日本語がうまくなります。
don don, nihongo ga umaku narimasu.
Little by little, (you) will become good at Japanese.

はっきり (hakkiri)
MEANING: Clearly

USAGE:
この眼鏡で富士山がはっきり見えます。
kono megene de fuji-san ga hakkiri miemasu.
With these glasses, I can clearly see Mt. Fuji.

ぎりぎり (giri giri)
MEANING: Just made it; just able to pass (a test); almost didn't have enough time

USAGE:
ぎりぎりでテストにパスしました。
girigiri de tesuto ni pasu shimashita.
I just managed to pass the test.