Japanesedaily-life-sfx

Japanese Manga Daily Life Sound Effects (SFX) Glossary

Understanding daily life sound effects, or 擬音語 (giongo) and 擬態語 (gitaigo), is crucial for fully immersing oneself in Japanese manga, especially slice-of-life genres. These onomatopoeic expressions add depth and realism to mundane activities like eating, walking, or opening a door, often conveying subtle nuances that dialogue alone cannot. For translators, accurately rendering these SFX is vital to maintain the atmosphere and humor of the original work, as a direct literal translation might fall flat or be confusing in English. This glossary provides a comprehensive guide to common Japanese daily life SFX, helping both readers and aspiring localizers appreciate their significance.

28 Terms

Japanese

Term	Romanization	Literal Meaning	Usage	Example	Translation Note
ゴクゴク	gokugoku	guzzle, gulp	Sound of drinking liquid quickly or noisily.	A character chugging a bottle of water after a long run, with sweat dripping down their face.	Commonly localized as 'GULP GULP', 'CHUG CHUG', or 'GLUG GLUG'.
もぐもぐ	mogumogu	mumble, chew quietly	Sound of chewing food with a full mouth, often implying enjoyment or concentration.	A child happily munching on a cookie, crumbs around their mouth, while engrossed in a game.	Often translated as 'MUNCH MUNCH', 'CHEW CHEW', or simply 'NOM NOM'.
パクパク	pakupaku	flap, eat	Sound of eating or taking big bites, often with an open mouth or quickly.	A hungry character rapidly eating a bowl of ramen, mouth opening and closing quickly.	Can be 'MUNCH MUNCH', 'CHOMP CHOMP', or 'GOBBLE' depending on the intensity.
ポリポリ	poripori	crunch, scratch lightly	Sound of crunching crispy food, or light scratching (e.g., a head scratch).	A character nervously scratching their head while trying to think of an answer, or eating potato chips.	For food, 'CRUNCH CRUNCH'. For scratching, 'SCRITCH SCRATCH' or 'SCRATCH'.
ペコペコ	pekopeko	hungry, stomach rumbling	Sound or state of being very hungry, stomach rumbling.	A character holding their stomach, their expression showing extreme hunger, with a thought bubble of food.	Often translated as 'RUMBLE RUMBLE' (for stomach), or simply implies 'hungry'.
トントン	tonton	tap, chop	Sound of light tapping (e.g., on a door), or chopping vegetables on a cutting board.	A chef quickly dicing carrots on a wooden cutting board, or someone lightly knocking on a door.	For tapping, 'TAP TAP'. For chopping, 'CHOP CHOP' or 'SLICE'.
ガチャ	gacha	clank, rattle	Sound of a door handle turning, or a door opening/closing with a distinct mechanism sound.	A character grabbing a doorknob and twisting it to open a wooden door.	Commonly rendered as 'CLICK', 'CLACK', 'RATTLE', or 'GRAB' (for the handle).
バタン	batan	slam, thud	Sound of a door slamming shut, or something falling with a heavy thud.	A character angrily slamming their bedroom door after an argument, or a heavy book falling from a shelf.	'SLAM!', 'THUD!', or 'BANG!'.
ギイ	gii	creak	Sound of a door, floorboard, or gate creaking.	An old, rusty gate slowly opening, making a long, drawn-out creaking sound.	'CREAK', 'SCREECH'.
コツコツ	kotsukotsu	tap, click, diligently	Sound of footsteps (especially on hard surfaces), or light tapping; also implies working diligently.	A character walking down a quiet hallway, their shoes making distinct tapping sounds on the tiled floor.	'TAP TAP', 'CLICK CLICK', or 'FOOTSTEPS'.
スタスタ	sutasuta	stride briskly	Sound/manner of walking quickly and purposefully.	A character walking away in a huff, their steps fast and determined, not looking back.	Often 'STRIDE', 'MARCH', or 'FWISH' (for the movement itself).
ドタドタ	dotadota	clatter, stomp clumsily	Sound/manner of heavy, noisy, or clumsy footsteps.	A young child excitedly running through a house, making loud thudding sounds with their feet.	'STOMP STOMP', 'THUD THUD', 'CLUMP CLUMP'.
シュルシュル	shurushuru	rustle, slide	Sound of fabric rustling, paper sliding, or something unraveling.	A character pulling out a long scroll of paper, which unfurls with a soft rustling sound.	'RUSTLE', 'SLIDE', 'WHISH'.
サラサラ	sarasara	rustle lightly, silky smooth	Sound of dry leaves rustling, flowing water, or hair/fabric being smooth and silky.	Wind blowing through a character's long, silky hair, or dry leaves rustling on the ground.	For rustling, 'RUSTLE'. For texture, 'SILK', 'SMOOTH'.
カサカサ	kasakasa	rustle dryly, crackle	Sound of dry, brittle things rustling, like paper, dead leaves, or insects moving.	A character stepping on a pile of fallen autumn leaves, or an insect crawling on dry ground.	'RUSTLE RUSTLE', 'CRACKLE CRACKLE'.
ザーザー	zaazaa	downpour, continuous static	Sound of heavy rain, or static noise from a TV/radio.	Torrential rain pouring outside a window, or a static-filled television screen.	'POUR', 'RAIN', 'STATIC'.
ポツポツ	potsupotsu	drip, spot	Sound of light rain beginning, or water dripping intermittently.	The first few drops of rain hitting the ground, making small, distinct sounds.	'DRIP DRIP', 'PATTER'.
シーン	shiin	silence	Represents absolute silence, often used for dramatic effect or awkward pauses.	A character cracks a bad joke, and everyone in the room falls completely silent, looking at them blankly.	Often translated as 'SILENCE', 'CRICKETS', or simply implied by the lack of other SFX.
カリカリ	karikari	crunchy, scratchy	Sound of something crunchy being eaten, or light scratching/scribbling.	A character eating a piece of toast or a hard biscuit, or lightly scratching a pen across paper.	For food: 'CRUNCH CRUNCH'. For scratching: 'SCRATCH SCRATCH', 'SCRIBBLE'.
ゴロゴロ	gorogoro	rumble, purr, laze around	Sound of thunder, a cat purring, or someone lounging idly.	Thunder rumbling in the distance, or a cat lying on a lap, purring contentedly.	For thunder: 'RUMBLE RUMBLE'. For cats: 'PURR'. For lounging: often implied through visual context.
ブツブツ	butsubutsu	mutter, grumble	Sound of mumbling, grumbling to oneself, or small bubbles boiling.	A character walking away, muttering complaints under their breath after being scolded.	'MUMBLE MUMBLE', 'GRUMBLE GRUMBLE'.
キュッ	kyu	squeak, tighten	Sound of a squeak (e.g., shoe on floor), or something being tightened/squeezed.	A character quickly stopping, their shoes squeaking on the polished floor, or a tight hug.	'SQUEAK', 'SKID', 'SQUEEZE'.
クルクル	kurukuru	turn, spin	Sound/motion of something spinning around rapidly (e.g., hair twirling, fan blades).	A character twirling a strand of their hair around a finger while deep in thought, or a fan spinning.	'WHIRL', 'SPIN', 'TWIRL'.
ピピピッ	pipipi	beep beep beep	Sound of a digital alarm, a microwave finishing, or a phone notification.	An alarm clock loudly beeping, signaling the start of a new day for the protagonist.	'BEEP BEEP BEEP', 'CHIRP CHIRP'.
シュッ	shu	whoosh, slide quickly	Sound of something moving quickly and smoothly through the air or sliding.	A character quickly drawing a curtain, or a swift, precise motion of a hand.	'WHOOSH', 'SWISH', 'SLIDE'.
コトコト	kotokoto	simmer, clatter lightly	Sound of something simmering on a stove, or light, continuous clattering (e.g., small items).	A pot of soup gently simmering on a stove, bubbles rising slowly.	'SIMMER SIMMER', 'PLINK PLINK' (for small clatters).
パチパチ	pachipachi	crack, clap	Sound of crackling (e.g., fire), applause, or blinking eyes.	A cozy fireplace with logs crackling warmly, or a small group of people applauding politely.	For fire: 'CRACKLE CRACKLE'. For applause: 'CLAP CLAP'.
スースー	suusuu	sniff, sleep soundly	Sound of breathing softly during sleep, or someone sniffing.	A character sleeping peacefully in bed, emitting soft, regular breathing sounds.	'Zzzzzzz' (for sleep), 'SNIFF SNIFF'.

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