Happy Sunday Japanophiles, Herewith the 83rd issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

Today, we’re simply going through…

Anime of the day

🔊 ISSUE: Sounds in Japanese — Why Everything Feels So Expressive

One of the most fun parts of Japanese is how it uses sound words to bring meaning to life.

These are called:

• オノマトペ (onomatope) – onomatopoeia

Japanese uses them far more than English, not just for sounds, but also for feelings, movement, and atmosphere.

🎧 Two Main Types of Sound Words

1. Real Sounds (What you can hear)

These imitate actual sounds.

• ワンワン (wan wan) – dog barking

• ニャーニャー (nyaa nyaa) – cat meowing

• ザーザー (zaa zaa) – heavy rain

Example:

雨がザーザー降っている。
Ame ga zaa zaa futte iru.
→ The rain is pouring heavily.

2. Feeling / State Sounds (What you feel or sense)

These describe emotions, conditions, or movement.

• ドキドキ (dokidoki) – heart pounding

• ワクワク (wakuwaku) – excitement

• イライラ (iraira) – irritation

Example:

試験の前でドキドキしている。
Shiken no mae de dokidoki shite iru.
→ My heart is pounding before the exam.

💡 Common Pattern: Repetition

Most Japanese sound words repeat.

This creates rhythm and intensity.

• キラキラ (kirakira) – sparkling

• ペラペラ (perapera) – fluent (speech)

• ボロボロ (boroboro) – worn out

The repetition makes the image stronger and more vivid.

🗣️ How to Use Them in Sentences

A very common structure is:

[sound word] + する

Example:

ワクワクする。
Wakuwaku suru.
→ I feel excited.

イライラする。
Iraira suru.
→ I feel irritated.

You can also use them like adverbs:

彼はペラペラ話す。
Kare wa perapera hanasu.
→ He speaks fluently.

🌸 Sound Words in Daily Life

Japanese speakers use these constantly:

• In conversation

• In manga and anime

• In social media

• In storytelling

Instead of saying “very tired,” someone might say:

クタクタだ。
Kutakuta da.
→ I’m completely exhausted.

It feels more vivid than a normal adjective.

🌱 Mini Story

朝、外を見ると雨がザーザー降っていた。
Asa, soto o miru to ame ga zaa zaa futte ita.
In the morning, I looked outside and rain was pouring.

学校に行く前に、ちょっとドキドキした。
Gakkō ni iku mae ni, chotto dokidoki shita.
Before going to school, my heart was beating fast.

でも友達に会ったら、ワクワクしてきた。
Demo tomodachi ni attara, wakuwaku shite kita.
But when I met my friend, I started to feel excited.

帰るころには、もうクタクタだった。
Kaeru koro ni wa, mō kutakuta datta.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted.

🎯 Try This

Match the feeling:

• ドキドキ → ?

• ワクワク → ?

• イライラ → ?

• キラキラ → ?

(Think: heart, excitement, irritation, sparkle)

💡 Final Insight

Japanese sound words act like emotional shortcuts.

Instead of explaining a feeling, you feel it instantly.