1.
onomatopoeia; a word that imitates a sound made by a person, animal, or object
A linguistic term for words that mimic actual sounds, such as animal cries, natural noises, or human voices. 擬声語 covers sound-imitating vocabulary in particular; related terms include 擬音語 (for non-living sound effects) and 擬態語 (for words describing states or manners rather than sounds).
日本語には擬声語が多い。
Japanese has many onomatopoeic words.
「ワンワン」は犬の鳴き声を表す擬声語だ。
'Wan-wan' is an onomatopoeia representing a dog's bark.
マンガには擬声語がたくさん使われている。
Manga makes heavy use of onomatopoeia.
擬声語と擬態語の違いを説明するのは難しい。
Explaining the difference between sound-imitating words and state-describing words is difficult.
A linguistic term for words that imitate sounds — animal cries, human voices, or environmental noises. Typically written in katakana when the sound itself is quoted.
USAGE:
- Used in language education, linguistics, and discussions about Japanese expressiveness.
- In general speech, people often just call such words {オノマトペ}, a loanword from French.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 擬声語を使う: to use onomatopoeia
- 動物の擬声語: animal sound words
- 擬声語が豊富だ: rich in onomatopoeia
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 擬音語: sound-effect words — imitates non-living sounds such as rain, doors, or machines.
- 擬態語: mimetic words — describes appearances, feelings, or manners that do not actually make sound (e.g., キラキラ for sparkling).
- オノマトペ: the general everyday term for all these categories combined, borrowed from French.
REGISTER:
Somewhat technical. In casual contexts, speakers use オノマトペ or simply describe the sound directly.