Giseigo are sounds produced by living things. Human voices, animal calls, bodily noises. These are the closest equivalent to what English speakers think of when they hear the word "onomatopoeia."
RomajiMeaningNotesHa-ha-haOpen laughterStraightforward, natural laugh. The default.Gera-geraLoud, uncontrolled laughterBelly-laugh territory. Loud enough to be obnoxious.Kusu-kusuQuiet snickeringBehind-the-hand laughter. Can be mocking or secretive.Hiso-hisoWhisperingNot just quiet talking; specifically conspiratorial, secretive whispering.Waa-waaLoud wailing or cryingVolume is the defining trait. Overwhelmingly loud distress.Shiku-shikuSoft sobbingQuiet, sustained crying. Also describes a dull, persistent stomachache, that low grinding abdominal pain that doesn't spike but never lets up.Goho-gohoCoughingHarsh, repeated coughing. The kind that turns heads.HakushonSneezingExplosive and short. Japan's version of "achoo."Guu-guuSnoringDeep rhythmic breathing in sleep. Also describes a rumbling, empty stomach, the audible growl of hunger. Same sound, two very different sources.Haa-haaHeavy pantingOut of breath, overheated, or exerted. Carries a physical-effort connotation.Goku-gokuGulping, swallowingThe sound of drinking something fast, throat working.Paku-pakuMouth opening and closingThink of a fish out of water, or someone eating enthusiastically. The inspiration behind Pac-Man's name.Mogu-moguChewingMouth full, working through food. Childish and endearing.Gori-goriGrinding teethIntense friction. Also means aggressively pushing forward through sheer stubbornness, and describes a hard, muscular physique. Three meanings, one aggressive energy.Zuru-zuruSlurpingSustained, drawn-out suction. Socially acceptable in Japan when eating noodles. Also carries a secondary meaning of being slowly, reluctantly dragged into something you can't escape, procrastinating, sliding toward an outcome you didn't choose.OgyaaInfant cryingThe specific pitch and quality of a newborn's cry. Piercing and impossible to ignore.Japanese animal sounds differ significantly from their English counterparts. A Japanese dog says "wan-wan," not "woof." A Japanese rooster says "kokekokkoo," not "cock-a-doodle-doo." These aren't random; they reflect genuine phonetic differences in how each language interprets the same biological sounds.
RomajiAnimal & SoundWan-wanDog barkingNyaa-nyaaCat meowingGaooLion or tiger roaringHihiinHorse neighingMoo-mooCow lowingShuu-shuuSnake hissingBun-bunBee or insect buzzingKero-keroFrog croakingKaa-kaaCrow cawingGaa-gaaDuck quackingHoo-hooOwl hootingMee-meeSheep or goat bleatingChuu-chuuMouse squeakingKokekokkooRooster crowingBuu-buuPig oinking. Also means complaining, grumbling, whining in colloquial use.Piyo-piyoChick chirpingGarururuFeral growling or snarling. Not a specific animal; pure predatory threat sound.Giongo cover everything that isn't alive: weather, impacts, machinery, materials breaking, water moving. These are the sound effects of the physical world.
RomajiMeaningNotesZaa-zaaHeavy rain pouringSustained, drenching downpour. Also means TV or radio static, white noise, that undifferentiated hiss that buries every other sound.Shito-shitoLight drizzleFine, quiet rain. Atmospheric rather than aggressive.Potsu-potsuRain beginning to fallScattered first drops. The warning before the storm.Jaba-jabaSplashing through waterViolent, messy water displacement.Zabu-zabuWading through waterThe heavy resistance of walking through waist-deep water.DobonLarge object falling into waterDeep, heavy splash. Something substantial just went under.PochanSmall thing dropped into waterLight, delicate splash. A coin, a pebble, a single drop.Chapo-chapoWater lapping, sloshingRhythmic, gentle wave action. Bathwater, a pond's edge.Gobo-goboBubbling, gurglingAir forcing through liquid. Drowning sounds. Drain noises.Sara-saraWater flowing smoothlyGentle, frictionless flow. A brook over stones. Also used for smooth textures like silk or fine hair.Jaa-jaaWater gushing from a pipeHigh-pressure, high-volume flow. An open hydrant.Picha-pichaLight splashing, drippingSurface moisture. Puddle-stepping.Choro-choroWater trickling slowlyA faucet not fully closed. Water finding cracks.Do-do-doRushing water rumbleFlash flood force, overwhelming volume and pressure. Also evokes the sound of a stampede, thundering footsteps of a charging mass.RomajiMeaningNotesPachi-pachiCrackling fireSparks popping from a campfire. Also means clapping or applause, and the popping sound of bubble wrap. One word for three very different satisfying sounds.Mera-meraFlames flickering and blazingRising, growing fire. Also carries a strong emotional meaning: burning with jealousy, rage, or fighting spirit. The fire is literal or figurative depending on context.Bou-bouRoaring wildfireUncontrolled, spreading fire. Past the point of containment.Juu-juuSizzling on a grillSustained contact heat. Meat on iron. Fat rendering.Goo-gooRoaring sound of fire or windA generalized roar of intensity. Not limited to fire; it can describe any overwhelming force sound. Functions as a raw amplifier of whatever phenomenon it's attached to.Chiro-chiroSmall flame flickeringA candle. A match. A lighter's flame. Tiny and contained.Yura-yuraWavering, undulating flameHeat haze. The visual distortion of hot air rising.RomajiMeaningNotesByuu-byuuStrong wind blowingSustained gale. The kind that pushes you sideways.Hyuu-hyuuWind whistling through narrow gapsThe sound wind makes squeezing between buildings, through cracked windows, past helmet visors. Penetrating and cold.Gou-gouFierce roaring galeStorm-force wind. Structural-damage territory.Soyo-soyoGentle breezePleasant, light air movement. Cherry blossom weather.HyunSound of something slicing through airA blade, a thrown object, anything cutting through space fast enough to make air scream.ByuuSharp, fast air movementShorter, more violent than Hyun. A single projectile passing close.GoooDeep sustained roar of windTornado-level. The sound that precedes structural failure.RomajiMeaningNotesGoro-goroThunder rollingDeep, sustained rumble. This word has the most alternate meanings of almost any onomatopoeia: a cat purring, a heavy object rolling across a floor, a stomach growling with hunger, and someone lounging around lazily doing nothing. Five meanings, one word. Context is everything.Bari-bariLightning crackling, tearingElectrical discharge combined with a ripping, rending quality. Also means working at full power, going all-out, the word for someone operating at peak capacity with no restraint.DoonThunderous boomWide-radius concussive impact. The big one.ZudoonDeep explosion or thunderEven heavier than Doon. The voiced "zu" adds penetrating depth.Bachi-bachiElectrical sparkingConstant, aggressive electrical discharge. Arcing. Dangerous proximity to live current.BachiSharp electrical snapA single jolt. Static shock amplified.Piri-piriElectrical tingling sensationLow-voltage, continuous. Also means tense or on edge, nerve over-stimulation where all stimuli become overwhelming. Also describes the burning sensation of chili peppers on the tongue (capsaicin burn). Four meanings across three categories, all sharing that sharp, prickling quality.Biri-biriElectric shock sensationFull shock. Involuntary muscle contraction. Also describes the sound and sensation of paper tearing, and the pins-and-needles of a numb limb waking up.Ji-ji-jiBuzzing electrical soundElectromagnetic hum. Fluorescent lights. Overloaded circuits.RomajiMeaningNotesDosu-dosuHeavy footsteps thuddingEach step carries weight. Something big is walking.Doka-dokaHeavy crashing, stompingRepeated heavy impacts. More aggressive than Dosu-dosu.Gara-garaCrumbling, rumbling, collapsingStructural collapse in progress. Also used for a rattle/shaker toy, and for "empty/vacant."Go-go-goOminous low rumblingPressure building. Something is about to happen. Famous in manga (especially JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) as the visual/auditory signifier of menace.ZushinHeavy landing thudA single, deep impact. Something just hit the ground hard.DokanExplosive crashDetonation-level impact.Meki-mekiStructural cracking and creakingProgressive failure. Also means "growing rapidly, improving by leaps." The sound of a tree growing through concrete and the sound of concrete losing to the tree.Mishi-mishiCreaking under weightThe warning sound before a floor gives way or a branch snaps.Gishi-gishiCreaking of floor or woodSustained stress on a surface. Old buildings, overloaded shelves, frozen lakes.ZuunDeep resonating thudBone-deep vibration. The impact you feel in your chest, not your ears.RomajiMeaningNotesDonHeavy thud or boomThe baseline impact word. Blunt, powerful, direct.GanHard metallic bangDenser than Don. Metal on metal. Harder, less spread.GonDull bonk or knockBlunt, non-lethal. Walking into a doorframe.BanLoud bangClose-range concussive force. A door slammed. A table struck.PanSharp pop or slapLight, surprising rather than damaging. A balloon. A face slap.ZudonDeep heavy thud, gunshotPenetrating impact. The voiced "zu" gives it a bullet-like quality.ZuganPowerful heavy impactArmor-breaking force. Beyond what a body can absorb gracefully.DoganCrashing impactWide-surface crushing. A wall falling on something.GatsunHard, heavy impactThe staggering blow. The one that makes teeth click and vision blur.DoshinHeavy body landingThe sound a person makes hitting the ground from height. Dead weight.GashanCrashing and shatteringImpact plus fragmentation. Glass, ceramic, anything brittle meeting force.GochinHead bonkFocused impact to a small area. Usually the skull. Comedic or painful depending on intensity.BonPop or boomExpanding pressure burst. Something contained suddenly isn't.DokkaanMassive explosionMaximum force. The biggest boom in the lexicon.BaanLarge bang or explosionWide-radius blast. Less deep than Dokkaan, more spread.Pon-ponBouncing, reboundingKinetic reflection. Impacts bounce back.PitaSudden dead stopAll momentum arrested instantly. Complete cessation of movement.DaSudden explosive start, a dashInstant acceleration from zero. A sprinter off the blocks.RomajiMeaningNotesSupaClean, precise cutSingle, perfect severance. No ragged edges.ZubaPowerful heavy slashForceful cutting. More mass behind the blade than Supa.SakuCutting through soft material easilyLow resistance. A knife through ripe fruit.ZakuCutting into firm materialHarder target. A shovel into packed earth.BassariWide sweeping cutA horizontal arc. Also means "decisively, without hesitation" (to flatly refuse). The metaphorical cut is as clean as the physical one: severing ties, ending something completely, no half-measures.ShuuSwift slicing movementSo fast the cut is over before it registers. Also evokes the sound of something vanishing quickly, a swift clean exit, like a ninja disappearing.Zuta-zutaTorn to shredsMultiple simultaneous cuts. Total destruction of form.RomajiMeaningNotesBakiSnapping, crackingA single fracture. A joint bending the wrong way.BokiSnapping a bone or branchSpecifically bone-break quality. Dry, final.Baki-bakiRepeated snapping and crackingMultiple fracture points firing off in sequence.Boki-bokiMultiple snappingFull structural stress. Everything breaking at once.GushaCrushing, squishingCompression. Structure collapsing inward.Gusha-gushaTotal crushing, crumplingComplete structural failure. Nothing left to break.GuchaSquishy pulverizingBeyond crushing. Soft-tissue territory. Wet and final.Bara-baraFalling apart into piecesNot violent destruction; separation at connection points. Things coming undone. Also means scattered, separated, disorganized, a group split up and spread out.MekiA single crackOne targeted fracture. The first warning.Pari-pariCrispy, brittleFragile enough that one tap shatters it. Thin ice, dried leaves, overcooked pastry.Kachi-kachiHard, frozen solidRigid and brittle from hardening. Frozen ground. Dried cement.RomajiMeaningNotesGyuuTight squeezeSudden compression. Also the sound of hugging someone tightly, so the word carries both threat and tenderness depending entirely on who's doing the squeezing.Gyuu-gyuuSustained tight squeezingProlonged, increasing constriction. A python's approach.GuForceful grip or pushDirectional pressure. A hand closing on a collar.MugyuSoft but firm squeezingEnveloping compression. Suffocating without sharp edges.PuchiSmall pop or burstSomething under strain finally giving. A bubble. A seam.PachinSharp snap or clickStored tension released all at once. A mousetrap springing.GisshiriPacked, crammed fullNo room to breathe. Everything compressed into a fixed space.ZusshiriFeeling of immense weightThe sensation, not the sound. Holding something far heavier than expected.PechankoCompletely flattenedTwo-dimensional compression. Crushed flat. A tin can under a boot.RomajiMeaningNotesKiinHigh-pitched metallic ringFrequency that targets the inner ear. Also describes the sharp pain of brain freeze (eating ice cream too fast) and the sound of a jet engine. Three meanings, all sharing that piercing, high-register quality.Kan-kanMetallic clanging, ringingResonant metal. A hammer on an anvil. Also means furiously angry, boiling with rage, and blazing direct sunlight. The word for hot sun and hot temper is the same word.Kin-kinHigh-pitched metallic screechingPainful frequency. Also means ice-cold, piercing cold. The same word describes sounds and temperatures that make you wince.Gacha-gachaClattering, rattlingMechanical parts shaking loose. Also the name for capsule toy machines.Gari-gariScraping, gratingFriction damage. Nails on a surface. Also the name of a popular Japanese ice pop brand.Gi-gi-giMetal grinding, screechingHigh-intensity friction between hard surfaces. Sparks and screaming metal.BuunHumming, buzzing of an engineVibration at mechanical frequency. Also the sound of something flying through the air at speed, a thrown object, a bug zooming past.Kata-kataLight rattlingFine vibration. A keyboard. A window in wind. Delicate mechanisms shaking.WiinMachine whirringMechanical motion. Servos, motors, something spinning up.Gachi-gachiStiff, locked up, frozen with tensionFull body rigidity. Muscles refusing to cooperate.This is where Japanese onomatopoeia departs from anything English does well. Gitaigo describe physical states, conditions, textures, and appearances. They are "sound words" for things that make no sound at all. A fluffy pillow is fuwa-fuwa. A sticky surface is neba-neba. There is no actual audio involved; the word captures the sensation itself.
RomajiMeaningNotesFuwa-fuwaSoft, light, floating, fluffyA cloud. A cotton ball. Weightlessness itself. Also means airheaded, unfocused, spacey, someone mentally ungrounded, drifting through life without traction.Fuka-fukaSoft and springySpecifically the kind of softness that pushes back. A fresh mattress. A new pillow.Funya-funyaLimp, floppy, yieldingStructural integrity gone. A cooked noodle. A deflated balloon.Puyo-puyoJiggly, squishyUnstable form. Gelatin. Body fat. Things that deform on contact and wobble back.Neba-nebaSticky, viscous, gooeyNatto. Okra slime. Anything that strings when you pull it apart. Also means persistent, tenacious, refusing to give up, from the verb nebaru (to endure, to hang in there). The word for stickiness and the word for stubbornness are the same.Beto-betoAdhesive, sticky to touchWorse than neba-neba. Sweat on a humid day. Spilled soda on a counter. You can't get it off your hands.Nuru-nuruSlippery, slimyZero friction. An eel. A wet tile floor. The complete absence of grip.Tsuru-tsuruSmooth, slippery surfacePolished. Ice. Waxed floors. Slippery but clean, not slimy.Zara-zaraRough, gritty textureSandpaper. Unfinished concrete. Stubble on a jaw.Gotsu-gotsuRough, jagged, rockyLarger scale than zara-zara. Boulders. Craggy cliff faces. Knuckles.Toge-togeSpiky, thornyBarbed. Cactus. Rose stems. Anything that punishes contact.Boko-bokoBumpy, beaten upThe surface condition of something that has taken repeated impacts. Also means beating someone thoroughly. The word describes both the action and the result.Deko-bokoUneven, bumpy terrainAn unpaved road. A cobblestone path gone wrong. Unstable footing.Suka-sukaHollow, empty, sparseStructural emptiness. A cheap wall. A dried-out sponge. No density inside.Mochi-mochiSpringy, elastic, chewy like mochiAbsorption and rebound. Impacts sink in and bounce back. The texture of fresh mochi, udon noodles, and good bread dough.Pera-peraPaper-thin, flimsyReduced to nothing. Also means speaking fluently in a foreign language, where the "thinness" becomes the effortless, flowing quality of speech without hesitation.RomajiMeaningNotesGata-gataShaky, rattling, falling apartStructural instability. Also means complaining, making a fuss, talking back. The word for a thing falling apart and the word for a person being annoying about it are identical.Gura-guraWobbly, unstable, about to toppleA table with uneven legs. A building in an earthquake. A person who can't keep their feet.Fura-furaDizzy, unsteady, waveringThe result of spinning, drinking, blood loss, or heat. Also means wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction, drifting without a destination.Yura-yuraSwaying gentlyA pendulum. A hammock. Seaweed in current. Gentle, rhythmic motion.Guru-guruSpinning, rotating, swirlingFull rotation. Tornado. Washing machine. Eyes after a blow to the head.Kuru-kuruSpinning, twirlingLighter, more playful than guru-guru. A dancer. A pinwheel. A spinning top.Buru-buruShivering, tremblingCold-induced or fear-induced shaking. Involuntary and sustained.Puru-puruJelly-like wobblingSoft trembling. Pudding on a plate. Lips before crying.Gunya-gunyaTwisted, warped, bendyShape completely distorted. A fun-house mirror. A pretzel. Something that should be straight but isn't.Yore-yoreWorn out, crumpled, wiltingThe state of something that has seen too much use. A shirt worn a hundred times. A person who has been working for thirty hours.RomajiMeaningNotesHiri-hiriStinging, burning skin sensationSunburn. Antiseptic on a cut. Raw, exposed nerve endings.Zuki-zukiThrobbing painPulsing, rhythmic pain. Headaches. Infected wounds. Pain that has a heartbeat.Chiku-chikuPricking, stinging sensationNeedles. Wool against sensitive skin. Full-body pins and needles.Jin-jinTingling, numbing sensationA limb falling asleep. The numb buzz after hitting your elbow. Sensation fading to static.ShiinCold silence, utter stillnessThe sound of silence itself. Japanese gave silence its own onomatopoeia. Used in manga to indicate a dead-quiet room, an awkward pause, or the moment after a bad joke lands on nothing.HinyariCool, cold feelingA pleasant or startling chill. Touching cold metal. Walking into an air-conditioned room.Poka-pokaWarm, cozy feelingSunlight on your back. A heated blanket. Gentle, pervasive warmth. Also means hitting someone repeatedly with light, playful blows. The same word describes being gently warmed and being gently beaten.Mun-munHumid, stuffy, oppressively hotSummer in Tokyo. A crowded train in August. Heat that sits on your chest.Jime-jimeDamp, humid, muggyPersistent moisture in everything. Also describes a gloomy, depressing atmosphere or personality. A damp mood for a damp room.Kara-karaCompletely dry, parchedZero moisture. Cracked lips. Desert air. Also means empty, hollow, the sound of something light and dry rattling inside something that should be full.Kin-kinIce-cold, piercing coldExtreme cold. Beer straight from the freezer. The kind of cold that hurts. (Also appears under Metal for the screeching sound.)RomajiMeaningNotesDoro-doroMuddy, gooey, thick viscousSwamp. Melted chocolate. Anything you sink into. Also describes messy, ugly interpersonal situations (a complicated, toxic relationship) and, separately, a drumroll sound.Toro-toroThick, syrupy, slow-flowingHoney. Molten cheese. Slow and luxurious in cooking; oppressive in other contexts. Also means drowsy, half-asleep, and describes materials softening or melting like heated wax.Sara-saraSmooth, silky, free-flowingAppears in both water and texture categories. Frictionless and clean. Dry sand running through fingers. Fine hair in a shampoo commercial.Futsu-futsuSlowly bubbling upThe first signs of a boil. Also: emotions simmering beneath the surface.Gutsu-gutsuVigorously boilingFull rolling boil. A stew at maximum heat.Pan-panSwollen, stretched to burstingOverfilled. A balloon about to pop. A stomach after a feast.KachinSnap-freeze, solidify on contactInstant hardening. Liquid becoming solid in a moment.RomajiMeaningNotesPika-pikaFlashing brightly, sparklingBright, clean light. Also means brand new, polished, spotless. Cleaning something until it's pika-pika means making it look like it just came out of the box. The inspiration behind Pikachu's name.Kira-kiraGlittering, twinklingStars. Jewelry. Eyes full of hope and dreams. Also describes someone whose eyes are bright with youthful enthusiasm and possibility.Chika-chikaRapid flickeringStrobe effect. A dying fluorescent tube. Visually aggressive.Gira-giraHarsh, glaring brightnessSearing, painful light. The summer sun at noon reflecting off concrete. Also describes burning ambition, hungry intensity. The glare of the sun and the glare of someone who wants something badly.BonyariDim, hazy, vagueFog. A shape you can't quite make out. Also describes being absentminded, zoned out, mentally unfocused. The visual and the mental are the same blur.Giyougo capture the quality and character of physical movement. How fast, how heavy, how graceful, how clumsy. They are the words manga uses to make still images feel like they're moving.
RomajiMeaningNotesByun-byunFast repeated whizzingMultiple objects flying past at speed. Arrows. Thrown knives. Cars on a highway.ByuunFast zooming, streakingA single object at high velocity. A bullet train. A thrown baseball.HyuuSwift, sharp movementInstantaneous. Over before you can track it.SuuuSmooth gliding movementFrictionless motion. Sliding doors. A skater on fresh ice.Noro-noroSluggish, slow movementFrustratingly slow. Traffic during rush hour. A turtle's pace by choice.Mota-motaFumbling, sluggishNot just slow but clumsy. Dropping things. Missing buttons. Reduced dexterity and coordination.Yota-yotaStaggering, wobblingDrunk-walk. Post-concussion movement. Can't hold a straight line.ZusaaSkidding, slidingForced horizontal movement. Braking on gravel. Being pushed across a floor.Teku-tekuSteady walkingRegular, unhurried footsteps. A commute. A walk to the store. Nothing dramatic.RomajiMeaningNotesDotanFalling with a heavy thudFull-body impact with the ground.BatanSlamming flat, falling overFace-first collapse. Also the sound of a door slamming shut. The same word for falling on your face and shutting a door; both are sudden, flat, and final.DosaFalling with a heavy thumpDead-weight drop. The sound a body makes when it stops trying to stand.GakunSudden collapse, lurchThe knees-buckling moment. Legs giving out without warning.GuttariGoing completely limpTotal body shutdown. All muscle tension gone. Ragdoll physics.SutonDropping quietly and suddenlyQuiet, clean, unexpected fall. No warning, no drama, just gone.RomajiMeaningNotesGasshiFirm grabRestraint. A hand closing on a wrist that isn't getting free.GacchiriSolid, firm gripImmovable. Also means solidly built, sturdy, reliable, describing a person's physical frame or a well-constructed object.GuiFirm pull or pushDirectional force. Yanked forward. Shoved sideways.GuuuSlow stretching or pullingSustained draw. A rubber band being stretched to its limit. A gravity well's patient pull.RomajiMeaningNotesGunyaBending, warpingShape deformation. A spoon bending. A rail curving.Nobi-nobiStretching freelyExtension without resistance. Also means relaxed, at ease, growing freely without restriction. A child raised nobi-nobi is raised without being stifled, given room to become what they'll become.The most abstract and arguably the most powerful category. Gijougo describe emotional and psychological states. Fear has a sound. Anxiety has a sound. The feeling of being deeply moved has a sound. These words give vocabulary to internal experiences that English handles with adjectives and metaphors, but Japanese handles with direct onomatopoeia.
RomajiMeaningNotesDoki-dokiHeart racing, poundingThe heartbeat you can hear. Fear, excitement, romantic tension, all share this word. Also describes romantic butterflies, the flutter of a crush. Whether you're in love or in danger, your heart sounds the same.Hara-haraNervousness, on edgeWatching something precarious. A movie where the character might fall. Sustained, unresolvable tension.Biku-bikuJumpy, flinching, timidStartling at every stimulus. Living in a flinch.Odo-odoNervous, flustered, timidHesitation in every action. Can't commit. Can't decide. Everything feels wrong.Gaku-gakuTrembling with fearInvoluntary shaking from terror. Can't hold anything steady.Zawa-zawaUnease spreadingAn instinctive, sourceless dread. The feeling that something is very wrong before you know what. Also the rustling sound of leaves or a murmuring crowd. Famous from the manga Kaiji as the visual representation of creeping anxiety.Zoku-zokuChilling shiver down the spinePrimal response. Freeze instinct. Also means thrilling excitement, the shiver of anticipation before something amazing. Fear and thrill are the same shiver; only context separates them.ZoSudden chill of horrorA single, instantaneous spike of dread. One moment of pure "something is behind me."Hiya-hiyaCold-sweat nervousnessParanoia. Acting as if death is one wrong step away.Zowa-zowaSkin crawling, goosebumpsRevulsion. The body recoiling from something it senses but can't see.RomajiMeaningNotesIra-iraBurning irritation, frustrationPatience grinding to nothing. The target snaps, acts impulsively, abandons strategy.KaSudden flare of rageInstant, uncontrolled burst. A single moment of seeing red.MukiiFurious indignationTunnel vision from anger. Fixates on the source, ignores everything else.Pun-punFuming, visibly angrySustained, obvious anger that clouds judgment over time. The kind everyone in the room can read.RomajiMeaningNotesBooSpaced out, dazed, zoned outCompletely checked out. Staring at nothing. Lights on, nobody home.Kura-kuraDizzy, lightheadedThe room spins. Blood pressure drop. Standing up too fast.Guru-guruSpinning, dizzyFull rotational disorientation. Worse than kura-kura. The whole world won't stop turning.BokeBlank, out of itSudden mental void. Mid-sentence, mid-action, just... empty.Moya-moyaNagging unease, mental fogSomething is wrong and you can't identify what. Distinct from bonyari's vague haziness; this is the specific torture of almost-knowing.RomajiMeaningNotesKiri-kiriSharp stabbing pain, tensionAcute pain spike. The kind that stops all movement and thought.Muka-mukaNausea, sick feelingThe stomach turning. The moment before vomiting.Heto-hetoCompletely worn out, exhaustedThe body has nothing left. Muscles refuse. Willpower is irrelevant because the tank is empty.Daru-daruHeavy, lethargic, sluggishWeighted down with fatigue. Every movement costs more energy than it should.Doku-dokuBlood pulsing, gushingThe heartbeat made visible through an open wound. Blood pressure you can see.Muzu-muzuUnbearable itching, restless sensationCan't stop fidgeting. Can't focus on anything else. The itch consumes all attention.RomajiMeaningNotesWaku-wakuExcited, eager, thrilledAnticipation overload. Christmas Eve for a child. Also, when unchecked, the recklessness of excitement replacing judgment.Uki-ukiLight, giddy, happyCarefree buoyancy. The weight of worry lifted. Walking on air.Niko-nikoWarm smiling, radiating friendlinessA genuine, sustained smile. The kind that makes other people feel safer.Pin-pinLively, energetic, in good healthVitality radiating from every pore. The word for someone operating at full biological capacity.HoA sigh of reliefTension draining away. Heart rate normalizing. The crisis is over, and the body knows it.RomajiMeaningNotesShakkiSharp, alert, snapping to attentionSudden clarity. Cold water on the face. Every sense sharpened at once.SukkiriClear-headed, refreshedMental reset. Fog cleared. Specifically targets mental clutter: confusion, daze, panic, all wiped clean.SappariClean, refreshed, wiped clearThe full-body version of sukkiri. Everything is stripped. Fatigue, pain, confusion, all of it gone. The word literally means "completely refreshed."KiriSharp-eyed, resolvedFocus locked in. Reaction time sharpened. Awareness heightened. Ready.UttoriEntranced, enrapturedLost in beauty or pleasure. Unresponsive to the outside world because the inside is too captivating.RomajiMeaningNotesShonboriDejected, crestfallenThe posture of defeat. Shoulders dropped. Eyes down. No will to continue.Uji-ujiHesitant, gloomy, broodingCan't commit to any action. Paralyzed by indecision and self-doubt.ShimijimiDeep melancholy, moved emotionallyInvoluntary grief or profound feeling. The kind of emotion that comes over you without permission.JiinDeeply touched, moved to tearsEmotional overwhelm in its purest form. The moment a person breaks, not from pain, but from being moved too deeply to hold it together.