Exploring Onomatopoeia
It’s raining. But is it pouring: zaa-zaa ? Or shito-shito ? Or potsuri-potsuri ? These words,/onomatopoeia,/evoke images in our minds. Our ALT will guide us/through the world of onomatopoeia.
Good morning. Welcome to the exciting world of onomatopoeia! Maybe you are wondering,/“What’s that fancy word?” Well,/it’s basically about sounds/—like buzz for a bee/or splash for water. Onomatopoeia helps us create vivid images/in our minds.
Japanese is famous/for having a wide range of onomatopoeic words. You often come across them in manga, anime,/and even in the names of snacks. Snack names often include words like saku-saku,/pari-pari,/and fuwa-fuwa. When you hear saku-saku,/what comes to mind? Maybe cookies. And pari-pari ? Perhaps rice crackers. What about fuwa-fuwa ? Probably something soft,/like a pancake.
Using these words/truly adds flavor to our lives. When you hear these words,/you may want to eat something delicious. Onomatopoeia is all around us/and adds a touch of magic/to our language and experiences. It makes our everyday life more exciting.
Onomatopoeia is something special/in the world of words. For most words,/there is no natural connection/between their sounds and meanings. For example,/the word for a cat doesn’t have to be cat ;/it could be neko,/like in Japanese. But in the case of onomatopoeia,/there is a close connection/between sounds and meanings. This means/that onomatopoeia can help people understand each other/across language boundaries.
Let’s compare onomatopoeic pairs/in Japanese and English in Table 1. You will notice/that some of the sounds are quite similar. But this is not always the case.
Actually,/onomatopoeic words with similar sounds in Japanese and English/are rather rare. In fact,/most onomatopoeic words sound different/in the two languages. Check out the examples in Table 2.
At first,/speakers of Japanese/may find English onomatopoeia rather strange. As you get used to it,/it will start to appeal to your senses. So,/give it a try,/and you’ll start to enjoy/and understand it better over time.
The difference between Japanese and English onomatopoeia/goes beyond just sounds. In Japanese,/verbs are often paired with onomatopoeic words. They act like adverbs/to describe manners of action. As you can see in Table 3,/the basic verb aruku,/plus an onomatopoeic word to modify it,/shows its unique manner of walking. On the other hand,/English has a variety of verbs/to describe walking.
You can find similar differences/in expressions of laughter. Take a look at Table 4.
Well,/class,/that’s it for today. We have seen/that Japanese and English use onomatopoeia/in their own unique ways. Language is like a colorful mosaic,/and onomatopoeia is one of its brightest pieces. Let’s continue exploring the world of onomatopoeia! There’s always something new/to discover.
It’s raining. But is it pouring: zaa-zaa ? Or shito-shito ? Or potsuri-potsuri ? These words,/onomatopoeia,/evoke images in our minds. Our ALT will guide us/through the world of onomatopoeia.
Good morning. Welcome to the exciting world of onomatopoeia! Maybe you are wondering,/“What’s that fancy word?” Well,/it’s basically about sounds/—like buzz for a bee/or splash for water. Onomatopoeia helps us create vivid images/in our minds.
Japanese is famous/for having a wide range of onomatopoeic words. You often come across them in manga, anime,/and even in the names of snacks. Snack names often include words like saku-saku,/pari-pari,/and fuwa-fuwa. When you hear saku-saku,/what comes to mind? Maybe cookies. And pari-pari ? Perhaps rice crackers. What about fuwa-fuwa ? Probably something soft,/like a pancake.
Using these words/truly adds flavor to our lives. When you hear these words,/you may want to eat something delicious. Onomatopoeia is all around us/and adds a touch of magic/to our language and experiences. It makes our everyday life more exciting.
Onomatopoeia is something special/in the world of words. For most words,/there is no natural connection/between their sounds and meanings. For example,/the word for a cat doesn’t have to be cat ;/it could be neko,/like in Japanese. But in the case of onomatopoeia,/there is a close connection/between sounds and meanings. This means/that onomatopoeia can help people understand each other/across language boundaries.
Let’s compare onomatopoeic pairs/in Japanese and English in Table 1. You will notice/that some of the sounds are quite similar. But this is not always the case.
Actually,/onomatopoeic words with similar sounds in Japanese and English/are rather rare. In fact,/most onomatopoeic words sound different/in the two languages. Check out the examples in Table 2.
At first,/speakers of Japanese/may find English onomatopoeia rather strange. As you get used to it,/it will start to appeal to your senses. So,/give it a try,/and you’ll start to enjoy/and understand it better over time.
The difference between Japanese and English onomatopoeia/goes beyond just sounds. In Japanese,/verbs are often paired with onomatopoeic words. They act like adverbs/to describe manners of action. As you can see in Table 3,/the basic verb aruku,/plus an onomatopoeic word to modify it,/shows its unique manner of walking. On the other hand,/English has a variety of verbs/to describe walking.
You can find similar differences/in expressions of laughter. Take a look at Table 4.
Well,/class,/that’s it for today. We have seen/that Japanese and English use onomatopoeia/in their own unique ways. Language is like a colorful mosaic,/and onomatopoeia is one of its brightest pieces. Let’s continue exploring the world of onomatopoeia! There’s always something new/to discover.