Entry
おんおん
onon
The sound of crying loudly or bawling.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
Represents the loud, continuous sound of someone crying intensely. It is often used to describe children bawling or an adult weeping loudly from deep sorrow.
- Crying very loudly
Sense Map
Children Bawling
The loud, unrestrained crying of an infant or child.
子供がおんおん泣く
Deep Sorrow
Weeping loudly out of intense grief or overwhelming emotion.
悲しみでおんおんと泣く
Usage Note
How to Use
おんおん泣く
おんおんと泣く
おんおん声を出す
How to Use
Common Phrases
おんおん泣く
to cry loudly
おんおんと泣く
to bawl
おんおん声を出す
to let out loud cries
おんおん泣き叫ぶ
to cry and wail
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Children crying | neutral | Describes the intense, unrestrained bawling of a child. |
| Deep sorrow | negative | Emphasizes the loud vocalization of grief when someone breaks down crying. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
わんわん わんわん / similar | For loud crying, often by children. | ワンワン is much more commonly used in everyday speech, while おんおん is rarer or found in stories. | ワンワン泣く |
しくしく しくしく / opposite | For quiet, restrained crying or sobbing. | しくしく is quiet weeping, which is the direct opposite of the loud bawling of おんおん. | しくしく泣く |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to describe quiet weeping.
Use it only for very loud, intense crying; for quiet crying, use しくしく (shikushiku).
Overusing it in everyday conversation.
It is a relatively rare word. For typical loud crying, ワンワン (wanwan) or 大泣き (oonaki) is more natural in daily speech.
Examples
Examples
迷子の男の子が道端でおんおん泣いていた。
まいごのおとこのこがみちばたでおんおんないていた。
The lost boy was crying loudly on the side of the road.
LiteralA typical scenario where a child cries without restraint.
彼女は悲しい知らせを聞いて、おんおんと泣き崩れた。
かのじょはかなしいしらせをきいて、おんおんとなきくずれた。
She heard the sad news and broke down bawling.
LiteralShows adult usage in a moment of intense grief.
赤ちゃんがお腹を空かせて、おんおん声を上げて泣き始めた。
あかちゃんがおなかをすかせて、おんおんこえをあげてなきはじめた。
The baby was hungry and started letting out loud cries.
LiteralUsing 声を上げて emphasizes the loud vocalization.
映画の感動的な結末を見て、おんおん泣いてしまった。
えいがのかんどうてきなけつまつをみて、おんおんないてしまった。
I ended up bawling after seeing the movie's moving ending.
LiteralExpressing intense emotional release even for positive or moving media.
隣の部屋からおんおんと泣き叫ぶ声が聞こえてきた。
となりのへやからおんおんとなきさけぶこえがきこえてきた。
The sound of loud wailing and crying could be heard from the next room.
LiteralCombined with 叫ぶ to indicate very loud distress.
Similar Words
ワンワン
wanwan
ワンワン (wanwan) is the sound of a dog barking repeatedly or the sound of someone crying and bawling loudly. Describes a much more commonly used loud crying sound.
しくしく
shikushiku
Describes the action of crying quietly or feeling a continuous, dull ache such as a stomachache. The opposite of おんおん, meaning quiet weeping or sobbing.
Questions
Can adults おんおん泣く?
Yes, if they are crying very loudly and openly due to deep grief, although it's often associated with children.
Is this word common in daily conversation?
No, it is considered somewhat rare or literary. You might see it in books more than you hear it spoken.
What is the difference between おんおん and ワンワン?
Both mean loud crying, but ワンワン is the standard, everyday word for bawling, while おんおん sounds a bit more dramatic or old-fashioned.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2253540
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
- Previous entry
- カーンカーン (kaankaan)
- Next entry
- ちらりほらり (chirarihorari)