1000 Japanese Onomatopoeia

Develop a feel for "real" Japanese through onomatopoeia.

To any student of Japanese, the staggering number of onomatopoeia seems daunting. What on earth, for instance, is the difference between からから, かりかり and くりくり? They may sound similar, but each carries a wealth of information modulated by emphasis, context and grammatical function. Thus からから can be used to describe someone laughing loudly, a vehicle rattling along, being parched with thirst, or being out of money; かりかり something crispy, or someone irritable; and くりくり something round/chubby and lovable.

In Japan, onomatopoeia are a natural and familiar vernacular in tune with all walks of life. Hip youths in Roppongi bars speak in a language peppered with onomatopoeia derived from Japan’s rich pop culture of manga and anime. At the same time, within university walls, erudite academics sprinkle their lectures with onomatopoeia, and even the most respected newspapers will employ them to describe economic conditions, be they sluggish (のろのろ) or booming (ぐんぐん).

Onomatopoeia are used everywhere, and this is why it's so important for learners to become familiar with them as early as possible. Along with Japanese idioms and proverbs, onomatopoeia are a rich and fascinating aspect of the language that is obscured in many textbooks, yet used on a daily basis in all areas of Japanese life and culture.

This is the first comprehensive dictionary of Japanese onomato­poeia. Multiple English sample sentences highlight every meaning and nuance of expressions, and furigana (as well as audio) allows even beginners to correctly pronounce and use the phrases immediately. Other app features include:

• Incremental search in English and Japanese
• Spell-checking in English and romaji
• Bookmark, annotate and share entries
• Jump to other apps and web dictionaries
• Portrait + landscape modes
• Slide Over Multitasking Mode (iPad)
• Split View (iPad, Plus/Max phones)
• Night mode (dark mode)
• Share Extension to add cards to Anki
• Widget

Based on “1000 Japanese Onomatopoeia” by William de Lange, TOYO PRess.