Learn Japanese onomatopoeia to describe food texture and flavors.
オノマトペ, or Japanese onomatopoeia, not only refers to sound symbolic words but also includes mimetic and sensory words.
runny, melting gooey, slimy fizzy, bubbles rising fluffy, airy moist and springy, glutinous toasted, well-baked plump, perky, bouncy jiggly light and crispy piping hot fluffy and crumbly ice-cold, chilled crisp soft and moist a light, refreshing flavor or feeling a rich soup, a heavy dish the burning sensation in your nose when you eat wasabi the sensation when you get a brain freeze
とろとろ
ねばねば
しゅわしゅわ
ふわふわ
もちもち
こんがり
ぷりぷり
ぷるぷる
さくさく
あつあつ
ほくほく
きんきん
しゃきしゃき
しっとり
さっぱり
こってり
つーん
きーん
Listen to the pronunciations in the video and learn sample phrases for each.
Review:
とろとろ (toro toro)
runny, melting (cheese, egg yolk)
とろとろ also means to drag, to be slow
とろとろ歩く = walk slowly, dragging one’s feet
ねばねば (neba neba)
gooey, slimy (natto, okura)
しゅわしゅわ (shuwa shuwa)
fizzy, bubbles rising
ふわふわ (fuwa fuwa)
fluffy, airy
もちもち (mochi mochi)
moist and springy, glutinous
こんがり (kongari)
toasted, well-baked
ぷりぷり (puri puri)
plump, perky, bouncy
ぷるぷる (puru puru)
jiggly
さくさく (saku saku)
light and crispy (deep-fried foods, crackers)
あつあつ (atsu atsu)
piping hot
あつあつ also describes two people in love
あつあつのカップル = lovebirds
ほくほく (hoku hoku)
fluffy and crumbly (cooked starchy potatoes)
きんきん (kin kin)
ice-cold, chilled
しゃきしゃき (shaki shaki)
crisp (lettuce)
しゃきしゃき also means briskly
しゃきしゃき歩く = walk briskly
しっとり (shittori)
soft and moist (cake)
*しっとりしたお肌 = soft and moist skin
さっぱり (sappari)
a light and refreshing flavor or feeling
*シャワーを浴びてさっぱりした = I took a shower and now I feel refreshed.
こってり (kotteri)
a rich soup, a heavy dish (tonkotsu ramen)
つーん (tsūn)
the burning sensation in your nose when you eat wasabi
きーん (kīn)
the sensation when you get a brain freeze
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Learn more Japanese onomatopoeia related to eating and drinking.
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Download and print your own Nihongo flashcards: Onomatopoeia
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