ぴよぴよ

ぴよぴよ
adverb
chirp chirp; peep peep
1. chirping; peeping
The sound made by baby chicks or small birds. A cute, high-pitched chirping sound.
ひよこがぴよぴよ()いている。
The chicks are chirping.
()(なか)からぴよぴよと(こえ)()こえる。
I can hear chirping sounds from inside the nest.
ぴよぴよと()小鳥(ことり)がかわいい。
The little birds chirping are so cute.

ぴよぴよ is an onomatopoeia for the high-pitched chirping of baby chicks (ひよこ) and small birds. It has a cute, childlike quality and is one of the first animal sounds Japanese children learn.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • ぴよぴよ()く: to chirp, to peep
  • ぴよぴよと()く: to chirp (with quotative と)
  • ぴよぴよ(こえ)()こえる: to hear chirping

OTHER BIRD SOUNDS:

  • チュンチュン: sparrow chirping
  • ホーホケキョ: Japanese bush warbler ((うぐいす)) call
  • コケコッコー: rooster crowing
  • カーカー: crow cawing

USAGE:
Belongs to the category of 擬音語(ぎおんご) (words that mimic actual sounds). Often used in children's books, songs, and when speaking to young children. Can also appear as a noun: ぴよぴよ can refer informally to a baby chick itself.