Onomatopoeia are words that phonetically imitate sounds such as "doki doki" (heartbeat) "pera pera" (fluent) and "pika pika" (sparkling). The Japanese language has hundreds of these words and they make up a significant part of everyday spoken language.
Japanese onomatopoeia are one of the language’s most intriguing features. As they are widely used in everyday life, it is important not to neglect this part of the language as it really helps you to build your Japanese language fluency and understand more about the culture. The cute, engaging illustrations by the Japanese designer Kinotoriko help you remember the vocabulary with memorable sample sentences and images. Improve your Japanese and learn all about this fascinating topic in this online course!
Who created the Japanese Onomatopoeia - PEKO-PEKO (I'm hungry) course?
It was created by Go! Go! Nihon in partnership with Kinotoriko an illustrator and author from Tokyo. She majored in English and American literature in the university studied graphic design and created this course based on her book of the same name to introduce the most common and useful Japanese Onomatopoeia. Learning Japanese onomatopoeia improves your Japanese fluency, helps you to understand the Japanese culture and will impress your Japanese friends.
What is Japanese Onomatopoeia?
Japanese onomatopoeia has a very unique feature in that some of the words use sounds to represent a feeling or meaning the word creates, rather than an actual sound associated with the word itself. There are more than a thousand different onomatopoeia words in Japanese and they are widely used both in writing and in everyday conversation, you will learn 210 different Onomoatopeia in the course.
How do the online classes work?
For each new Onomatopoeia, we share examples of the use, an English translation, illustration, and audio recordings to make sure you can practice and be able to use what you learn. We also have a community where you can engage with other students on the same journey as you, ask questions, upload your own illustrations and ask questions on how to use the different onomatopoeia with the course leaders and Kinotoriko, the creator of the course.
Are there live classes?
Although you will be able to interact with the course leader, Go! Go! Nihon staff and other students through the community, you will not have live classes. The lessons are pre-recorded and created to help you learn as quickly as possible using our online platform but allows you to complete lessons at your own pace. You can start at any time and you can study at your own pace as you have access to the material for 3 months after you join.
Can anyone take this course?
As Japanese Onomatopoeia is not normally taught in Language School we created this course to be suitable for both beginner (JLPT N5 level) as well as more advanced students. With simple to use lessons for beginners to learn some fun new phrases, and also extra reading to help explain more advanced grammar usage for more advanced Japanese students.
Will I get a certificate for finishing a course?
You will get a certificate from Kinotoriko when you complete the course, but you need to complete 100% of all of the course lessons and pass the tests in order to receive it.
What will I learn?
See the course curriculum below.
Course curriculum
1
Course overview
Before you start
Onomatopea in Japanese language
How to use this course
Hiragana Romanization Charts
List of all the onomatopoeia in the course in alphabetical order
List of all the onomatopoeia in the course in hiragana order
Join the community
We'd like to know a few things about you, before you begin...
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 6 Quiz
8
07 - How smooth and silky! - こんなに、さらさら!
SARA-SARA, GOWA-GOWA
FUSA-FUSA, BOSA-BOSA
TSURU-TSURU, SUBE-SUBE
MOKO-MOKO, MOFU-MOFU
SHIWA-SHIWA
KUSHA-KUSHA
HIRARI, HIRA-HIRA
FUWARI, FUWA-FUWA
KIRA-KIRA, JARA-JARA
ZURU-ZURU
DABO-DABO, BUKA-BUKA
KITSU-KITSU, PITTARI
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 7 Quiz
9
08- PARADE! - てくてく歩こう!
YOCHI-YOCHI, TOKO-TOKO
TA'-TA'-TA'
TEKU-TEKU, SUTA-SUTA
KATSU-KATSU-KATSU
NORO-NORO, HYOKO-HYOKO
PYON-PYON, BYUUN
SORORI, SHIZU-SHIZU
SHANARI-SHANARI
YORO-YORO, URO-URO
NOSSHI-NOSSHI
DOSHIN-DOSHIN, ZORO-ZORO
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 8 Quiz
10
09 - Having a chat at a cafe - カフェでぺちゃくちゃ
PECHA-KUCHA
JII'
JIRO-JIRO, CHIRA', UTTORI
HAKI-HAKI, MOGO-MOGO
PERA-PERA, BOSO-BOSO
KIPPARI, UDA-UDA
ZUBARI, GIKURI
KYORO-KYORO, HISO-HISO, ANGURI, SO'
GAMI-GAMI, BUTSU-BUTSU
KUDO-KUDO, UNZARI
WAI-WAI, GAYA-GAYA, ZAWA-ZAWA
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 9 Quiz
11
10 - Seasons in Japan - 日本の四季
SAN-SAN, POKA-POKA, YUKKURI
SOYO-SOYO, SARA-SARA, SAWA-SAWA
DONYORI, POTSU-POTSU, ZAA-ZAA, BISHO-BISHO
SHITO-SHITO, JIME-JIME, MUSHI-MUSHI
KAN-KAN, GIRA-GIRA, JIRI-JIRI
POKKARI, MUKU-MUKU, MOKU-MOKU
GORO-GORO, PIKA', ZABUN-ZABUN
KARA', SUKA', HINYARI
HYURU-HYURU, HARARI, BYUU-BYUU, HARA-HARA
CHIRA-CHIRA, SHIN-SHIN, SHIIN, NUKU-NUKU
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 10 Quiz
12
Before you go
End of course Quiz!
Extra onomatopoeia
Let us know what you think of the course!
Buy a copy of the book!
Course creator
Illustrator
Toriko Kino
An illustrator and a picture-book author. (KINOTORIKO is a pen name)
Born and raised in Tokyo, lived 2 and a half years in Melbourne, Australia in her childhood.
There she encountered with “Humpty Dumpty” who leads her into the world of fantasy, and when she returned, she found this real world filled with marvels and mysteries.
http://www.kinotori.com