Tebura (手ぶら – Empty-handed)
Tebura 手ぶら When having nothing in your hands, the situation is described as tebura (手ぶら) in Japanese. 手に何も持っていないことを日本語で「手ぶら」といいます。 It is
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Onomatopoeia
Kobu and Tankobu (「瘤」と「たんこぶ」 – Bump)
Kobu and Tankobu 「瘤」と「たんこぶ」 In my post yesterday, I introduced the Japanese idiom meno ue no kobu (目の上の瘤 meaning “a
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Gyafun to Iwaseru (ぎゃふんと言わせる – Beating Someone Down to Size)
Gyafun to Iwaseru ぎゃふんと言わせる Today, I would like to introduce the phrase gyafun to iwaseru (ぎゃふんと言わせる), which means to render
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Donburako (どんぶらこ)
Donburako どんぶらこ Today, I would like to introduce a unique onomatopoeia donburako (どんぶらこ). 今日は少し特殊な擬態語「どんぶらこ」を紹介します。 Donburako is an onomatopoeia representing that
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Suzu wo Korogasu youna Koe (鈴を転がすような声 – Clear and Beautiful Voice)
Suzu wo Korogasu youna Koe 鈴を転がすような声 A woman’s high, clear and beautiful voice is sometimes described as suzu wo korogasu
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Neko Bang Bang (猫バンバン – Knock Knock Cats)
Neko Bang Bang 猫バンバン Have you ever heard of the term neko bang bang (猫バンバン)? 「猫バンバン」という言葉を聞いたことがありますか？ Neko (猫) means “cat,”
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Harapeko (腹ペコ – Being Hungry)
Harapeko 腹ぺこ When describing that one is hungry, one can use the casual term harapeko (腹ぺこ). お腹が空いたことを表すカジュアルな表現として「腹ぺこ」があります。 Hara (腹) means
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Pien Koete Paon (ぴえんこえてぱおん)
Pien Koete Paon ぴえんこえてぱおん In my post yesterday, I introduced the net slang pien (ぴえん), which represents crying. 昨日は、泣いていることを表すネットスラング「ぴえん」を紹介しました。 Pien
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Pien (ぴえん – Crying)
Pien ぴえん Have you ever heard of the term pien (ぴえん)? 「ぴえん」という言葉を聞いたことがありますか？ Pien is an onomatopoeia that represents crying, which
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