Entry
ピーポー
piipoo
ピーポー is an onomatopoeia for the alternating two-tone siren sound of Japanese ambulances and emergency vehicles.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
ピーポー mimics the high-and-low pitched 'nee-naw' or 'wee-woo' sound made by Japanese emergency vehicles, most notably ambulances. It is frequently repeated as ピーポーピーポー.
- ambulance siren
- toy ambulance sound
Sense Map
Ambulance Siren
Represents the sound of an approaching ambulance siren.
救急車がピーポーピーポーと鳴る。
Vocal Mimicry
Used by children imitating an ambulance when playing with toy cars.
子供が「ピーポー」と言いながら遊ぶ。
Usage Note
How to Use
ピーポーピーポーと + verb
ピーポーピーポーという + noun
ピーポー + verb
How to Use
Common Phrases
ピーポーピーポーと鳴る
to sound wee-woo
ピーポーピーポーという音
wee-woo sound
ピーポーと鳴らす
to sound a siren
救急車のピーポーピーポー
ambulance siren
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Actual ambulance on the street | emergency, urgent | Indicates that an emergency vehicle is requesting the right of way. |
| Children playing | playful, innocent | Commonly vocalized by kids pretending their toy cars are ambulances. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
うー うー / similar | Used for the wailing siren of police cars and fire engines. | ピーポー is for ambulances, while ウー is the standard wail for police and fire vehicles. | パトカーがウーと鳴る。 |
ぴーぴー ぴーぴー / similar | Used for electronic alert beeps, whistles, or bird chirps. | ピーピー is a repetitive single-tone beep, whereas ピーポー is a two-tone high-low siren. | 機械がピーピー鳴る。 |
ぷー ぷー / similar | Used for normal car horns or trumpets. | プー is a standard honk, not an emergency siren. | 車がプーと鳴る。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using ピーポー for a car honking in traffic.
Use プー or プップー for regular car horns. ピーポー is strictly for ambulances.
Using this word for a building's fire alarm.
Japanese fire alarms are usually described as ジリジリ or feature voice announcements, not ピーポー.
Examples
Examples
救急車がピーポーピーポーと鳴りながら近づいてくる。
きゅうきゅうしゃがピーポーピーポーとなりながらちかづいてくる。
An ambulance is approaching with its wee-woo siren wailing.
LiteralIndicates the siren sound becoming clearer as the emergency vehicle gets closer.
遠くからピーポーピーポーという音が聞こえる。
とおくからピーポーピーポーというおとがきこえる。
I can hear a wee-woo sound from far away.
LiteralUsed to modify the noun 'sound'.
子供が「ピーポー、ピーポー」と言いながらおもちゃの車を走らせている。
こどもが「ピーポー、ピーポー」といいながらおもちゃのくるまをはしらせている。
The child is rolling his toy car while saying "nee-naw, nee-naw".
LiteralShows verbal mimicry of an ambulance sound during play.
事故があったらしく、ずっとピーポーピーポーと鳴っている。
じこがあったらしく、ずっとピーポーピーポーとなっている。
It seems there was an accident; sirens have been wailing continuously.
LiteralIndicates that the sound has been ongoing for a while.
救急車のピーポーピーポーというサイレンで目が覚めた。
きゅうきゅうしゃのピーポーピーポーというサイレンでめがさめた。
I was woken up by the wee-woo siren of an ambulance.
LiteralShows the siren sound is loud enough to wake someone up.
Similar Words
ウー
uu
Used for the wailing siren of police cars or fire engines.
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 electronic beeps or whistles.
プー
puu
プー (puu) represents a flat, sustained sound of air or gas being expelled, such as a toot, honk, or puff. Used for standard car horns.
Questions
Can ピーポー be used for police cars too?
It can be, but Japanese police cars and fire engines are more strongly associated with the sound ウー (uu). ピーポー is iconic specifically for ambulances.
Can I use ピーポー for an alarm clock?
No, electronic alarms usually make a ピピピ (pipipi) or ジー (jii) sound.
Why is there a long dash (ー) in ピーポー?
The long dash indicates that the sound is drawn out, matching the distinct, prolonged notes of an actual siren.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2841737
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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