Learn more than 200 Japanese Onomatopeia
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are multiple browsers from which you can access and complete the course both on desktop and mobile. For the best results, we recommend using Chrome.
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.
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.
See the course curriculum below.
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...
PEKO-PEKO
KARA-KARA
GATSU-GATSU
MUSHA-MUSHA
MOGU-MOGU
KUCHA-KUCHA
PAKU, GOKU, GOKURI
PAKU-PAKU, PERORI
GOKU-GOKU, PICHA-PICHA
GUBI-GUBI, CHIBIRI-CHIBIRI
PAN-PAN
GABO-GABO
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users
End of Chapter 1 Quiz
HETO-HETO
KUTA-KUTA-, GUTTARI
UTO-UTO, KOKURI
GORO-GORO, GORORI
GUU-GUU, GOO-GOO
SUYA-SUYA, GUSSURI
PACHIRI
SUKKIRI
PIN-PIN
MORI-MORI
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users
End of Chapter 2 Quiz
NIKO-NIKO, RUN-RUN
KUSU-KUSU
ZUBO, IHIHI
EEN-EEN, KERA-KERA
SHIKU-SHIKU, MESO-MESO
TSUKA-TSUKA
BASHI'
WANA-WANA. KA'
BOKA-SUKA, HARA-HARA, ORO-ORO
HAA-HAA, ZEE-ZEE
PORO-PORO, GYU'
AHAHA, WAHAHA
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users
End of Chapter 3 Quiz
DOKI-DOKI
BAKU-BAKU
MOJI-MOJI
PA'
KYOTON, GAAN
BOO', GAKKURI
ZUKYUUN!
SHONBORI
HA', KURU'
TOBO-TOBO
GUI'
GYUU, KYUN
ICHA-ICHA
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users
End of Chapter 4 Quiz
FUWA-FUWA, KONGARI, KARI-KARI, MOCHI-MOCHI, SAKU'
HOKA-HOKA, FUKKURA, TSUYA-TSUYA, SHITTORI, PARI-PARI
NEBA-NEBA, NURU-NURU, TORORI, TORO-TORO
SHIKO-SHIKO, ASSARI, KOTTERI, GITO-GITO, SAPPARI
SHAKI-SHAKI, PIRI', TSUUN, SHUWA’, SUKKIRI
End of Chapter 5 Quiz
GAN-GAN
ZUKI-ZUKI, ZUKIN-ZUKIN
GURU-GURU, CHIKA-CHIKA
MOYA-MOYA, FURAA'
MUZU-MUZU, IGA-IGA
EHEN-EHEN, GOHON-GOHON
BURU', ZOKU-ZOKU
GACHI-GACHI, GISHI-GISHI
HIRI-HIRI, PIRI-PIRI
JIN-JIN, CHIKU-CHIKU
KIRI-KIRI, MUKA-MUKA
GORO-GORO, SHIKU-SHIKU
ZEE-ZEE, HYUU-HYUU
DOKKUN, DOKU-DOKU
Further Reading for Advanced Japanese Users (alternative version)
End of Chapter 6 Quiz
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
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
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
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
End of course Quiz!
Extra onomatopoeia
Let us know what you think of the course!
Buy a copy of the book!
Toriko Kino