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ONOMATOPOEIA
What comes to mind when you hear the word “onomatopoeia”?
Imitation of sounds in words coming from things like animals and nature? I want to know more about it!
Japanese language is rich with onomatopoeia. Here are some examples that are unique to Japan.
A couple is out shopping. The store is filled with things that can be expressed with onomatopoeia.
For example, a cushion. It could be expressed "FUWA FUWA".
"FUWA FUWA" means light and soft.
Other examples…
"KIRA KIRA" (shiny and glittery)
"GUTSU GUTSU" (the sound of bubbles popping in the boiling water)
"DOKI DOKI" (nervousness)
Japanese is filled with onomatopoeia that describe the climate.
Rain, in particular, has a lot of them. When the rain starts falling, you use "POTSU POTSU".
But with heavy rain, it's described as "ZAHHH ZAHHH".
When you're trying to describe textures, sounds, feelings, and all sorts of other things, the right onomatopoeia will get the job done.
If you want to learn more:
