オノマトペ

おのまとぺ

noun

onomatopoeia; sound symbolism

1. onomatopoeia; mimetic word; sound symbolism

A broad term encompassing both sound-imitating words (giongo/giseigo) and state-describing words (gitaigo) in Japanese, which form a rich and essential part of the language.

日本語(にほんご)はオノマトペが豊富(ほうふ)だ。

Japanese is rich in onomatopoeia.

「わくわく」や「どきどき」はオノマトペの例(れい)だ。

'Waku-waku' and 'doki-doki' are examples of onomatopoeia.

漫画(まんが)にはオノマトペが多(おお)く使(つか)われていて、場面(ばめん)の臨場感(りんじょうかん)を高(たか)めている。

Manga use a lot of onomatopoeia, heightening the sense of being in the scene.

Borrowed from French "onomatopée." In Japanese linguistics, オノマトペ is an umbrella term covering three subcategories:

Subcategories

擬音語(ぎおんご): words imitating sounds of non-living things (e.g., ざあざあ for rain)
擬声語(ぎせいご): words imitating sounds of living things (e.g., わんわん for barking)
擬態語(ぎたいご): words describing states or feelings, not actual sounds (e.g., きらきら for sparkling)

Japanese has an extraordinarily rich system of onomatopoeia compared to most other languages, with thousands of these words used in everyday speech, literature, and especially manga.

Common collocations

オノマトペを使(つか)う: to use onomatopoeia
オノマトペが豊富(ほうふ): rich in onomatopoeia
オノマトペ表現(ひょうげん): onomatopoeic expression

Similar words

擬音語(ぎおんご): onomatopoeia (in the narrow sense) — words imitating sounds
擬態語(ぎたいご): mimetic words — words describing states or conditions
音象徴(おんしょうちょう): sound symbolism — the academic term

Related Words

Compare: 擬音語(ぎおんご) (onomatopoeia)

Compare: 擬態語(ぎたいご) (mimetic words)

Compare: 擬声語(ぎせいご) (onomatopoeia (words imitating sounds))

general

Added 2026.4.7 4:18 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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