JapanNewbie

What Giongo and Gitaigo Are All About

Posted on 12. Aug, 2009 @ 4:04 pm by harvey in Language Views: 869

Most students of Japanese are introduced to giongo (擬音語) and gitaigo (擬態語) very early in their studies and don’t even realize it. Students of Japanese who are reading this may already be familiar with the term, “wan-wan” (ワンワン) which is the Japanese sound (giongo) for a dog barking, or “peko peko” （ぺこぺこ） which is a gitaigo that can describe an empty stomach. These words permeate the Japanese language and are a lot of fun to study. Any extended conversation in Japanese with a native Japanese speaker will undoubtedly involve one of these phrases (I bet ぺらぺら comes up first…) Learning to use these phrases will really bring your Japanese to life.

Giongo and gitaigo are not only interesting for learners of Japanese as a second language, in fact large Japanese-Japanese dictionaries dedicated solely to giongo and gitaigo can be found in Japanese bookstores like Kinokuniya. People who grow up speaking Japanese can usually “feel” the meaning of a giongo or gitaigo phrase, but for those of us who learn Japanese as a second language it is usually necessary to study them a bit in order to get a feel for them. Once you have heard enough of these phrases you’ll really start to be able to get the gist of them from context without losing track of the conversation. With enough practice you’ll be able to work your favorite phrases into your own Japanese speech and writing!

The linguistic term for these gitaigo phrases are mimetic expressions, and giongo are more commonly called onomatopoeia. We have mimetic expressions in English too, but Japanese uses them far more frequently. Japanese will almost always use some giongo or gitaigo when explaining an exciting or emotional experience. If you’ve ever heard a Japanese person excitedly explain something that they have experienced personally you’ll know what I’m talking about.

While on safari in Tanzania my wife and I were lucky enough to see elephants come storming out of the woods right beside our car. My wife, a native Japanese speaker, repeatedly used mimetic words (gitaigo) to describe the scene as she experienced it to her friends after getting back into the city.

象がバキバキ、バキバキと木をなぎ倒しながら、森から出てきた！
zou ga bakibai, bakibaki to ki wo nagi taoshinagara, mori kara detekita!

An elephant crashing through the forest

The term “baki baki” is used to describe the sound of big thick sticks breaking. A native speaker will put extra emphasis on the “baki baki” in this example, and perhaps even wave their arms around to really stress the fact that the elephant was crashing through the forest. On the other hand, small skinny sticks break like “paki paki.” You can see how rich giongo and gitaigo phrases are in the Japanese language from this simple example. You can also see how it would be difficult to get the “feel” for the difference between “baki baki” and “paki paki” without studying a bit.

She also used giongo to describe the sound of the elephants trumpet as ぱおーん！ This doesn’t appear in my dictionary, but it is a giongo that any Japanese will be familiar with.

I think Japanese textbooks should have a giongo, or at least a gitaigo section that is dedicated to explaining these words. Using these phrases skillfully can really make your Japanese come to life and sound more natural. Google around for gitaigo and give some a try! If you’ve got an iPhone or iPod Touch you can also check out our new Japanese 101: Giongo and Gitaigo App as well for lots more examples.

Learn those giongo and gitaigo!

Harvey

Tags: giongo, gitaigo, Language