がんがん
がんがん
adverb
pounding; throbbing; vigorously
1.
pounding; throbbing
Describes a pounding sensation, especially headaches or loud repetitive sounds.
頭ががんがんする。
My head is pounding.
隣の部屋からがんがん音楽が聞こえる。
Loud music is blaring from the next room.
二日酔いで頭ががんがんする。
My head is pounding from a hangover.
2.
vigorously; intensively
Describes doing something with great intensity or energy.
がんがん勉強して試験に受かった。
I studied intensively and passed the exam.
エアコンをがんがんつけている。
The air conditioner is running full blast.
がんがん食べてすぐ太った。
I ate a lot and gained weight quickly.
がんがん is an onomatopoeia (擬音語) that mimics a pounding or banging sound. It has two main uses: describing pounding sensations and describing doing things with great intensity.
SENSE 1 — POUNDING/THROBBING:
- 頭ががんがんする: my head is pounding (especially with hangovers)
- がんがん鳴る: to ring/pound loudly
- がんがん音楽が聞こえる: loud music is blaring
SENSE 2 — VIGOROUSLY/INTENSELY:
- がんがん勉強する: to study hard/intensively
- がんがん食べる: to eat a lot (energetically)
- がんがん働く: to work hard
- エアコンをがんがんつける: to blast the AC
SIMILAR PAIN WORDS:
- ずきずき: throbbing pain (rhythmic, like a pulse)
- きりきり: sharp, piercing pain (stomach)
- がんがん: heavy pounding (typically headaches)
REGISTER:
Casual/informal. Common in everyday conversation.