どんどん
どんどん
adverb
rapidly; steadily; one after another
1.
rapidly, steadily, at a fast pace
Describes continuous and rapid progress or change.
2.
one after another, in succession
Indicates things happening continuously without pause.
3.
without hesitation, boldly
Encourages doing something without holding back.
どんどん is an onomatopoeic adverb describing rapid, continuous action or change.
Position: Usually appears before the verb.
[Register: Neutral]
Onomatopoeia origin: Originally mimics the sound of drums (ドンドン), extended to mean 'rapidly' or 'continuously.'
Similar expressions:
- どんどん vs. だんだん: だんだん means 'gradually' (slow change); どんどん means 'rapidly' (fast change).
- どんどん vs. どしどし: Both encourage action, but どしどし is more emphatic and casual.
- どんどん vs. 次々(に): 次々に specifically means 'one after another'; どんどん emphasizes the pace.
Common usage:
- どんどん〜てください: Encouragement to do something freely without holding back
- どんどん〜ていく: Keep ~ing more and more
Orthography: Usually written in hiragana.