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Japanese must be one of the richest languages in onomatopoeia, words imitating sounds;
"giongo" or "giseigo" in Japanese.
A great many of these consist of two syllables, once repeated, and sound a bit like baby
language. Maybe that's why I became infatuated with them, but as this affection grew,
I noticed that these words are very practical, convey meaning quickly, and often surprise
native speakers, because they're rarely textbook language. (A good number of them I've
come across in TV commercials.) So I've decided to compile as extensive a list of these
words as possible, out of personal interest and for the benefit of anyone who desires to
pick up some very Japanese vocabulary. Read them out loud and see if you can't imagine
the accompanying action or state!
My Japanese is mediocre, and my translations may be off, so all
contributions and corrections
are more than welcome. There are bound to be more: unless I've miscalculated, 4489
possibilities exist to combine the 45 Japanese syllables in pairs (including the soft
g-, z-, d-, b-, and p-led syllables, but excluding combinations with themself,
combinations beginning with "n", and all "kyo-" or "sho-"type contractions).
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J-Slang
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English
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Contributor
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Notes
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bachin-bachin
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heavy typing
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Kishida-san
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baku-baku
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quickly (eating)
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Hiromi
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bara-bara
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scattered, loose
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thduggie
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bari-bari
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tearing, crunching
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thduggie
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becha-becha
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chattering, prattling, gooey, messy
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thduggie
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bera-bera
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nonstop rapid talking
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Anna
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beron-beron
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very drunk
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Olivier
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beta-beta
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sticky
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Tsuri-san, Suzuki-san
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beto-beto
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gooey
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Hiromi
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betsu-betsu
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separate
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textbook
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biri-biri
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like an electric shock
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Stef
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bori-bori
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hard to the bite
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Hiromi
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boro-boro
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rumpled, scuffed, slightly damaged
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thduggie
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bota-bota
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drip(ping)
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Santa and her friends
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boto-boto
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drip(ping)
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Santa and her friends
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bura-bura
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idly, aimlessly (strolling or walking)
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Stef, Anna
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buru-buru
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shaking, shivering with cold or fear
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Robert
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butsu-butsu
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grumbling, complaining, muttering
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thduggie
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byuu-byuu
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whistling (wind)
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Ohashi-san
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chiku-chiku
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prickling pain
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Stef
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choki-choki
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snipping, cutting
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Kinjirou, Tsuri-san
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dan-dan
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slowly but surely
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textbook
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dara-dara
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lazy, sluggish, prevaricating
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thduggie
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doki-doki
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excited, nervous (esp. in romantic situations)
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thduggie
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doku-doku
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gushingly, profusely
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thduggie
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don-don
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quickly
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textbook
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fura-fura
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meandering, without direction (walking)
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thduggie, Mishima-san
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fuwa-fuwa
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cushy soft
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thduggie
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gachi-gachi
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chattering (of teeth), thinking hard
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Mieko
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gara-gara
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clattering, rattling
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thduggie
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gari-gari
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scratching, clawing
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thduggie
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giri-giri
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just barely
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thduggie, Stef
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gisu-gisu
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strained (atmosphere), thin and bony
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thduggie
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goku-goku
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quickly (drinking, swallowing)
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Okaasan
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goro-goro
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idle, relaxed
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Stef
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goro-goro
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thunder
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Stef
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guden-guden
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dead drunk
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Olivier's dictionary
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gun-gun
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rapidly, smoothly (aircraft, boats)
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thduggie
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guru-guru
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turning round, spiraling
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Santa and her friends, thduggie
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gusha-gusha
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flowing slowly
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thduggie
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?
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gutsu-gutsu
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simmering
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Olivier's dictionary
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hara-hara
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uneasy
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thduggie
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hiku-hiku
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sniffing, twitching
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thduggie
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hiri-hiri
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hot, burning feeling (sunburn)
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Hiromi
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iro-iro
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various
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textbook
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jan-jan
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a lot
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thduggie
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japan-japan (sic)
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splashing (water on oneself)
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Kishida-san
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jari-jari
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crunchy, grainy (to the bite)
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Matsuo-san
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jiro-jiro (miru)
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staring, scrutinizing
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thduggie
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jori-jori
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to shave
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Mieko
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kachi-kachi
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ticking (of clock)
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Hiromi
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kan-kan (okoru)
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very (to get very angry)
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thduggie
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kara-kara
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thirsty
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Hiromi, Okaasan
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kisu-kisu
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kissing (duh)
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thduggie
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kocho-kocho
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secret
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Naito-san
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kocho-kocho (suru)
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to tickle
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Naito-san
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kori-kori
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crunchy (e.g. biting on cartilage)
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thduggie
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koro-koro
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rolling (small, round object)
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Stef
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kotsu-kotsu
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clicking (of high heels)
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Kishida-san
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kuta-kuta
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dead tired
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thduggie
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masu-masu
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more and more
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thduggie
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mecha-mecha
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lots, very
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Chiharu, Nami
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misu-misu
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under one's nose
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thduggie
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K
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muki-muki
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suitability
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thduggie
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K
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muzu-muzu
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itchy, impatient
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thduggie
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naga-naga
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very long
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Stef
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naka-naka
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hardly
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thduggie
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-
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naka-naka
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quite, rather
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Ohashi-san
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neba-neba
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sticky, viscous
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thduggie
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noro-noro
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slowly
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Stef
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nya-nya
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cat
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Nakagawa-san
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nyoro-nyoro
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slithering
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Mishima-san
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pachi-pachi
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dripping wet
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Chiharu, Nami
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pachi-pachi
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shutter-snapping
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Hiromi
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pachin-pachin
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small, cute
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Kishida-san
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pari-pari
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crispy (e.g. potato chips)
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Santa and her friends
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pasa-pasa
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dry (hair, cakes, etc.)
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thduggie, Santa and her friends
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pata-pata
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pattering (feet)
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Hiromi
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peko-peko
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very hungry
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Olivier
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peko-peko
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apologize excessively, with bobbing head
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Hiromi
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pera-pera
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fluent(ly)
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Anna, thduggie
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pero-pero
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lapping (like a dog)
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Hiromi
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peta-peta
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pressing repeatedly
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thduggie
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?
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pichi-pichi
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fresh, lively
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thduggie
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pika-pika
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bright, flashing, sparkling
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Stef
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piri-piri
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hot (in taste)
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Stef, Hiromi
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pocha-pocha
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elastic (skin)
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thduggie
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poto-poto
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drip(ping) in large drops
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Santa and her friends
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potsu-potsu
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bit by bit, spotty
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thduggie
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potsun-potsun
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first raindrops
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Hiromi
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puchi-puchi
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popping (e.g. ikura, bubble plastic)
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Nakagawa-san
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puri-puri
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angrily
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thduggie
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puri-puri
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smell(ing) strongly
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thduggie
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rabu-rabu
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romantic (love-love)
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Stef
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saku-saku
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crunchy, eating noisily
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Santa and her friends, Hiromi
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sara-sara
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fluently, smoothly flowing
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thduggie
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sara-sara
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dry, squeaky clean
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thduggie
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sawa-sawa
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soft?, patting?
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thduggie
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?
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shaa-shaa
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shamelessly, carefree
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thduggie
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shari-shari
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luxurious
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Naito-san
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shiba-shiba
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often, frequently
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thduggie
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shibu-shibu
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reluctantly
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Hiromi
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shiku-shiku
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crying
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Santa and her friends
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shito-shito
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raining
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Santa and her friends
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shiwa-shiwa
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(very) wrinkled
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thduggie
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sowa-sowa
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nervous
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thduggie
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sura-sura
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fast (writing)
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Hiromi
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suru-suru (to)
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nimbly (small animals, etc.)
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thduggie
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tabi-tabi
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often, repeatedly
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Stef
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tama-tama
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occasionally
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thduggie
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teku-teku
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walking, footsteps
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Kishida-san
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toku-toku
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pouring quickly, in gasps
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thduggie, Mishima-san
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ton-ton
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patting shoulder
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Ohashi-san
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toro-toro
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drowsily
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Stef
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tsuru-tsuru
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smooth to the touch
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Hiromi
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uro-uro
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loitering, aimless wandering
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thduggie
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uzu-uzu
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itching to do something
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thduggie
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waku-waku
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nervous, excited, trembling
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thduggie
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wan-wan
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dog
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Nakagawa-san
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waza-waza
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go to the trouble of, expressly, intentionally
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thduggie
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zaa-zaa
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pouring rain, rushing water, white noise
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Santa and her friends
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zabuun-zabuun
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pouring water (on oneself)
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Kishida-san
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Notes:
- used with negatives
K written with kanji, thus technically not onomatopoetic
? uncertain - someone please confirm!
"textbook" refers to Minna no Nihongo I and II
Big helps:
JWPce waapuro using
Jim Breen's Japanese-English Dictionary
Do you know more onomatopoeia? Did you spot any glaring mistakes or omissions?
Your contribution is welcome!
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