Go Go Nihongo! Volume #5: Pika Pika
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of “pika pika” from the ultra-popular anime character, Pikachu.
Pikachu’s super power, Lightning Rod, is a burst of bright light, befitting the onomatopoeia that inspired its name. Similarly, when eye-blinding...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #12: Bero Bero
PHOTO: Getty Images
Last month, I introduced the onomatopoeia “bero bero”, which can be used to describe excited dogs licking your face, or the funny faces you...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #11: Pero Pero
PHOTO CREDITS: Bruce Lam
I’m pretty sure you’ve done this before when you were young: whenever you made a mistake, you’d stick out your tongue unconsciously, even...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #2: Koro Koro & Goro Goro
There is a Japanese nursery rhyme called:
“Donguri Korokoro” (The Falling Acorn)
In this song, an acorn falls off the tree and rolls into a pond. In the world of onomatopoeia, the continuous rolling movement of...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #17: Buru Buru
In Japanese folklore, the yōkai (demon) is a well-known collection of creatures, known for their eclectic (and often terrifying) characteristics. During the Edo period, a printmaker...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #8: Tsuru Tsuru
I just returned from Hokkaido a few weeks ago. Winter is still in full swing over there, so there was heaps of snow everywhere.
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #6: Bata Bata
Recently, I’ve been bogged down with events, and haven’t had time to focus on work.
In Japanese, this is referred to as “bata bata”. It’s originally used to describe the sound of large objects...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #7: Fura Fura & Bura Bura
This month, I’d like to talk about different movements: “fura fura” and “bura bura”.
“Fura fura” is a swaying movement that is commonly-used to...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #3: Niko Niko & Niya Niya
“Niko niko” and “niya niya” are used to describe smiling expressions.
However, although they bear a striking resemblance in terms of pronunciation, the underlying meaning is totally different, and I’ll explain why.
“Niko niko” is derived...
Go Go Nihongo! Volume #1: Doki Doki
Are you a fan of Japanese comics,
or as we call them, manga?
Apart from the characters’ dialogues, you might have noticed lots of quirky sound effects incorporated into the background, like, “burororo”, “donn”, “waku waku”...
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