Categories
Japanese Onomatopoeia Categories
Browse Japanese onomatopoeia by meaning area, including mood, movement, sound, texture, and communication.
14 groups
842 entries
Japanese onomatopoeia categories on Ono.Jepang.org are editorial meaning groups that help learners browse expressive words by what they describe: sound, movement, texture, feeling, atmosphere, and communication.
How to use categories
- Choose a meaning area first when you know the situation but not the exact Japanese word.
- Open a category to compare entries with nearby meanings and usage examples.
- Use the type page when you want to compare giongo, giseigo, gitaigo, giyougo, and gijougo instead of meaning areas.
Feelings and Atmosphere
Feelings, mood, tension, excitement, anxiety, and the atmosphere of a scene.
OpenTexture and Touch
Surface feel, moisture, dryness, smoothness, stickiness, and tactile texture.
OpenBody and Physical Condition
Body condition, pain, nausea, tiredness, hunger, and physical sensation.
OpenQuick Movement
Sudden, quick, light, nimble, or sharply changing movement.
OpenImpacts and Explosions
Impact words for hits, crashes, breaks, falls, pops, and forceful contact.
OpenRepeated Movement
Repeated, continuous, vibrating, circling, or back-and-forth movement.
OpenLight and Appearance
Visual states such as sparkle, blur, brightness, flicker, shine, and visible form.
OpenObjects and Machines
Object, tool, vehicle, machine, lock, and hard-surface sound words.
OpenSlow Movement
Slow, heavy, hesitant, weakening, or drawn-out movement.
OpenHuman Sounds
Human vocal and body sounds, including laughter, crying, muttering, and sudden reactions.
OpenNature and Weather
Words for rain, wind, water, rumbling, weather, and natural atmosphere.
OpenSpeech and Communication
Speech style, conversation, fluency, murmuring, and communication behavior.
OpenAnimal Sounds
Animal and living-creature voice words, such as barks, chirps, calls, and cries.
OpenSocial Relationships
Social nuance, attitude, small conflict, closeness, and impressions between people.
Open