(ぎおん)

ぎおん
noun
onomatopoeia, sound effect
languageculture
1. onomatopoeia, sound-imitating word
A word that imitates or represents a natural sound, such as animal cries, environmental noises, or the sounds of actions. Japanese is especially rich in these.
Japanese is rich in onomatopoeia.
「ワンワン」(いぬ)()(ごえ)擬音(ぎおん)だ。
'Wan wan' is onomatopoeia for a dog's bark.
In manga, onomatopoeia is expressed visually.
2. sound effect (in film, theater, etc.)
Artificially created sounds used in film, television, radio, or theater to represent real-world sounds such as footsteps, rain, or doors closing.
I'm in charge of the sound effects for the film.
Sound effects play an important role in radio dramas.
There is a person backstage responsible for producing sound effects.

Usage

The full linguistic term is 擬音語(ぎおんご) (onomatopoeia — words imitating sounds). Japanese linguistics distinguishes between 擬音語(ぎおんご) (sound-imitating words like ザーザー for rain) and 擬態語(ぎたいご) (manner/state words like キラキラ for sparkling). Together they are called 擬声語(ぎせいご) or オノマトペ. The shortened form 擬音(ぎおん) is used colloquially for both the linguistic concept and for sound effects in media production.

Common collocations