Entry
こけこっこう
kokekokkou
コケコッコー is the standard Japanese onomatopoeia for a rooster's crow, equivalent to "cock-a-doodle-doo".
Meaning
Quick Meaning
In Japanese, コケコッコー (kokekokkou) captures the loud, distinctive crow of a rooster, typically heard in the early morning. Beyond being a sound word, it is also commonly used by toddlers and young children as a noun to refer to the rooster itself.
- The sound of a rooster crowing
- A rooster (toddler language)
Sense Map
Rooster's Crow
Used to describe the loud crowing sound made by a rooster.
コケコッコーと鳴く。
Rooster (Children's Language)
Used by young children as a noun to refer to the animal itself.
あ、コケコッコーだ。
Usage Note
How to Use
コケコッコーと鳴く
Used with the quotation particle と and the verb 鳴く (naku - to cry/crow) to describe the action of crowing.
コケコッコーの声
Acts as a noun modifying 'voice/sound', translating to 'the sound of a rooster'.
コケコッコー + だ/がいる
Used directly as a noun in children's speech to indicate the presence of a rooster.
How to Use
Common Phrases
コケコッコーと鳴く
to crow cock-a-doodle-doo
コケコッコーの声
the sound of a rooster
朝のコケコッコー
morning cock-a-doodle-doo
元気なコケコッコー
energetic rooster crow
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Animal sound descriptions | Neutral | The standard equivalent of 'cock-a-doodle-doo' in Japanese. |
| Talking to toddlers | Positive/Cute | Commonly used by parents pointing out roosters in picture books to small children. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ぴーぴー ぴーぴー / contrast | Used for the high-pitched chirping or peeping of small birds or baby chicks. | Not for loud or deep animal cries; completely different scale of sound. | 小鳥がピーピー鳴く。 |
めーめー めーめー / contrast | Used for the bleating sound of sheep or goats (baa). | Represents a completely different farm animal. | 羊がメーメー鳴く。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using コケコッコー for the sound of a hen.
This sound is exclusively for male chickens (roosters). Hens are described as clucking with コッコッ (kokko).
Using コケコッコー as the normal word for rooster in adult conversations.
It is baby talk. In normal conversation, you should refer to a chicken/rooster as にわとり (niwatori).
Examples
Examples
朝早く、外でコケコッコーと鳴く声が聞こえた。
あさはやく、そとでコケコッコーとなくこえがきこえた。
Early in the morning, I heard a cock-a-doodle-doo outside.
LiteralShows the standard usage as the sound of a rooster's crow.
毎朝コケコッコーの声で目を覚まします。
まいあさコケコッコーのこえでめをさまします。
I wake up every morning to the sound of a cock-a-doodle-doo.
LiteralUsed with the noun 'voice/sound' to refer to the crowing.
小さな子どもが「あ、コケコッコーだ」と指をさした。
ちいさなこどもが「あ、コケコッコーだ」とゆびをさした。
The little child pointed and said, "Ah, a rooster."
VisualShows the children's language usage where the word means the rooster itself.
屋根の上で元気よくコケコッコーと鳴いている。
やねのうえでげんきよくコケコッコーとないている。
It is crowing cock-a-doodle-doo energetically on the roof.
LiteralActing as an adverb with the particle 'to'.
絵本にコケコッコーの絵が描いてある。
えほんにコケコッコーのえがかいてある。
There is a picture of a rooster in the picture book.
VisualAnother example of children's language, treating the word as a visual noun.
Similar Words
ピーピー
piipii
A word representing high-pitched repeated sounds like beeps or chirps, as well as figurative states like having diarrhea, being broke, or being a novice. Used for the chirping of chicks or small birds, not roosters.
メーメー
meemee
メーメー mimics the bleating sound made by sheep or goats, equivalent to 'baa' or 'meh' in English. The sound of a sheep or goat.
Questions
Can I use kokekokkou for a hen?
No, it specifically represents the loud morning crow of a rooster. A hen's cluck is usually written as コッコッ (kokko).
Why do Japanese children call roosters 'kokekokkou'?
It is very common in Japanese baby talk to name animals after the sounds they make, just like English-speaking children might call a dog a 'bow-wow'.
Should I write it in hiragana or katakana?
While hiragana is possible, katakana (コケコッコー) is the overwhelmingly standard way to write animal sounds in Japanese.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2039590
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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