ぶーぶー

ぶーぶー
adverb, noun
honking; oinking; complaining
descriptive
1. honking sound; car horn
The sound of a car horn or similar noise. Also used as baby talk for 'car.'
車(くるま)がぶーぶー鳴(な)っている。
The car is honking.
ぶーぶーがきたよ。
A car is coming!
Baby talk for car
赤(あか)ちゃんが「ぶーぶー」と言(い)って車(くるま)を指(ゆび)さした。
The baby said "vroom vroom" and pointed at the car.
2. oinking; pig sound
The sound a pig makes.
豚(ぶた)さんはぶーぶー鳴(な)くよ。
Piggies go oink oink.
牧場(ぼくじょう)で豚(ぶた)がぶーぶー鳴(な)いていた。
The pigs were oinking at the farm.
子供(こども)たちが「ぶーぶー」と豚(ぶた)の真似(まね)をして遊(あそ)んでいる。
The kids are playing by imitating pigs, going 'oink oink.'
3. complaining; grumbling
The action of complaining or expressing dissatisfaction repeatedly.
ぶーぶー文句(もんく)を言(い)うな。
Stop complaining.
彼女(かのじょ)はいつもぶーぶー言(い)っている。
She's always complaining about something.
給料(きゅうりょう)が安(やす)いとぶーぶー文句(もんく)を言(い)う社員(しゃいん)が多(おお)い。
There are many employees who grumble about the low salary.

ぶーぶー is an onomatopoeic word with three distinct uses depending on context.

SOUND/BABY talk

  • ぶーぶー as a noun means "car" in baby talk, similar to English "vroom vroom"
  • ぶーぶーに乗(の)る: to ride in the car (child's speech)
  • Also represents the sound of a car horn honking

Animal sound

Represents the oinking sound of a pig. Used in children's stories and when imitating animal sounds.

Complaining

Related onomatopoeia

  • ワンワン: dog bark (also baby talk for "dog")
  • ニャーニャー: cat meow
  • モーモー: cow moo

Usage

Many Japanese onomatopoeia for animal sounds double as baby-talk nouns for the animals themselves: ワンワン (doggy), ニャーニャー (kitty).

Related Words

Related: わんわん (dog bark)
Compare: ぶうぶう (grumbling)
general
Added 2026.1.17 6:25 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
06000/06035_buubuu