ぶーぶー

ぶーぶー
adverb, noun
honking; car (baby talk); 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。
The car is here!
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 "beep beep" 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.

USAGE (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

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

USAGE (complaining):

Related words

  • 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)
Related: にゃんにゃん (meow)
general
Added 2026.1.17 6:25 · Revised 2026.10.11 4:52
06000/06035_buubuu