Entry
わあわあ
waawaa
わあわあ describes the loud sound of wailing, like a crying baby, or the noisy clamor of people making a fuss.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This word is most commonly used to describe the loud, uninhibited crying or bawling of a baby or child. Additionally, わあわあ can describe a noisy situation where people are clamoring, raising a ruckus, or complaining loudly in a disruptive way.
- Loud crying voice
- Clamor or complaining
Sense Map
Loud Crying
Crying out loud uninhibitedly, especially like a baby or child bawling.
わあわあ泣く
Clamor and Complaining
A crowd making a noisy racket, or someone complaining loudly and persistently.
わあわあ言う
Usage Note
How to Use
わあわあ泣く
わあわあ言う
わあわあ騒ぐ
How to Use
Common Phrases
わあわあ泣く
wailing loudly / crying one's eyes out
わあわあ言う
complaining loudly / making a loud fuss
わあわあ騒ぐ
clamoring / making a racket
わあわあ泣き出す
bursting into loud tears
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Babies and children crying | Neutral | This is the most standard usage. It naturally describes the loud bawling of an infant without any negative judgment. |
| People complaining or making a fuss | Negative | When used as わあわあ言う, it criticizes someone for making a racket, complaining loudly, or being annoying. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
わいわい わいわい / contrast | Use ワイワイ for a noisy, lively, and enjoyable atmosphere where many people are talking together. | わあわあ often carries a negative tone of complaining or uncontrolled crying, whereas ワイワイ is used for happy, festive socializing. | ワイワイ楽しむ |
わんわん わんわん / similar | Use ワンワン when emphasizing the shedding of many tears and bitter weeping, which applies frequently to adults as well. | わあわあ focuses specifically on the loud, uninhibited vocal noise of bawling, typically associated with babies or children. | ワンワン泣く |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to describe crying silently or just shedding tears softly.
わあわあ strictly involves making a very loud, noisy vocal sound.
Using it for a happy crowd cheering in excitement at a game.
Happy, excited cheering is better described with ワアッと or ワイワイ. わあわあ implies an unruly clamor, complaining, or crying.
Examples
Examples
赤ちゃんがわあわあ泣いている。
あかちゃんがわあわあないている。
The baby is crying loudly.
LiteralDescribes the loud, natural crying of a baby.
些細なことでわあわあ言うのはやめてください。
ささいなことでわあわあいうのはやめてください。
Please stop making a loud fuss over trivial things.
FigurativeUsed figuratively for noisy, annoying complaining.
教室で子供たちがわあわあ騒いでいる。
きょうしつでこどもたちがわあわあさわいでいる。
The children are making a racket in the classroom.
LiteralDescribes a chaotic noise from a small crowd.
転んでわあわあ泣き出した。
ころんでわあわあなきだした。
He fell down and burst into loud tears.
LiteralIndicates the sudden start of loud crying.
会議でわあわあ意見が飛び交った。
かいぎでわあわあいけんがとびかった。
Opinions were noisily flying around during the meeting.
FigurativeDescribes a situation where many people speak at once in a disorganized way.
Similar Words
ワイワイ
waiwai
This word describes the loud, energetic noise of many people having fun, persistently complaining, or crying loudly. A lively, happy crowd noise, in contrast to the complaining or crying noise of わあわあ.
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. Loud weeping with many tears, often used for adults too.
Questions
Can I use わあわあ for adults crying?
It is possible if the adult is bawling out loud and losing control like a child, but ワンワン泣く is much more natural for an adult weeping bitterly.
What is the difference between わあわあ言う and simply 文句を言う?
わあわあ言う emphasizes that the complaining is loud, persistent, noisy, and annoying to those around.
Is わあわあ always negative?
Not always. For babies and children, it is a neutral description of loud crying. However, when applied to adults talking or complaining, it usually takes on a critical or negative tone.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2109040
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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