Japanese Manga Emotion Sound Effects (SFX) Glossary
Japanese manga are renowned for their expressive use of sound effects, known as giongo (擬音語) and gitaigo (擬態語), to convey emotions. These visual onomatopoeia are crucial for understanding character feelings like joy, sadness, surprise, or anger, often taking up significant panel space and forming part of the narrative. For readers, recognizing these SFX deepens immersion, while for translators, accurately localizing them is vital to maintain the original emotional impact and artistic intent without sounding awkward or repetitive in English. This glossary provides a comprehensive guide to common Japanese emotion SFX.
28 Terms
Japanese| Term | Romanization | Literal Meaning | Usage | Example | Translation Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ドキドキ | dokidoki | thump-thump | A pounding heart, often due to excitement, nervousness, or romantic anticipation. | A character's heart racing as they confess their feelings, or anticipating a big event. | Commonly translated as 'thump-thump', 'ba-dump', 'thump', 'flutter', or simply implied through visual cues like a flushed face and character inner monologue. |
| ウルウル | uruuru | wet-wet, glistening | Eyes welling up with tears, on the verge of crying. | A character's eyes getting watery after being scolded, or feeling immense sadness or relief. | Often localized as 'sniff', 'tears welling', 'eyes watering', or sometimes 'glisten' if the tears haven't fully fallen. |
| ニコニコ | nikoniko | smile-smile | Smiling happily, cheerfully, or beaming. | A character happily greeting a friend, or feeling content and pleased. | Translated as 'smile', 'grin', 'beam', or simply 'chuckle' if combined with a soft laugh. Often accompanied by a smiling face. |
| ハラハラ | harahara | fluttering, suspenseful | Feeling on edge, nervous anticipation, suspense, or anxiety. | Watching a thrilling fight scene, or waiting for important test results. | Often localized as 'tense', 'on edge', 'suspense', 'nervous', or 'trepidation'. |
| クスクス | kusukusu | giggle-giggle | Subtle, suppressed laughter, often a giggle or chuckle. | Characters giggling quietly behind their hands at a private joke, or at someone else's mistake. | Usually translated as 'giggle', 'chuckle', 'hee hee', or 'snicker'. |
| しくしく | shikushiku | sniffle-sniffle | Quiet, suppressed crying; sobbing softly. | A character crying silently in a corner, trying not to be noticed, or feeling profound but controlled grief. | Translated as 'sob', 'sniffle', 'whimper', or 'quiet tears'. |
| ガクガク | gakugaku | rattle-rattle, shaky | Trembling or shaking, often from fear, shock, or extreme cold. | A character's knees shaking uncontrollably after a terrifying encounter, or shivering intensely. | Localizers use 'tremble', 'shake', 'shiver', 'quiver', or 'wobble'. |
| イライラ | iraira | irritating, prickly | Feeling irritable, frustrated, or annoyed. | A character tapping their foot impatiently, or grinding their teeth in annoyance. | Often translated as 'grrr', 'ugh', 'annoyed', 'frustrated', or simply conveyed by the character's expression and dialogue. |
| ニコッ | niko | smile | A sudden, brief smile or grin. | A character giving a quick, reassuring smile to someone. | Often translated as 'smile', 'grin', or 'flash a smile'. |
| ワナワナ | wanawana | tremble-tremble | Violent trembling, often from intense anger, fear, or excitement. | A character trembling with rage, barely holding back from attacking, or shaking uncontrollably from extreme terror. | Translated as 'tremble violently', 'shaking with rage/fear', 'quiver uncontrollably'. |
| ガーン | ga-n | bang | Sound of shock, dismay, or a huge emotional blow. | A character dropping to their knees after hearing devastating news, or realizing a terrible mistake. | Often localized as 'thud', 'wham', 'shock', 'shatter', or visually represented by a 'speechless' or 'broken' effect. |
| ビクッ | biku' | startle | A sudden flinch or jump of surprise/fear. | A character suddenly jumping when someone taps them on the shoulder, or from a sudden loud noise. | Translated as 'flinch', 'startle', 'jump', or 'gasp'. |
| ニヤリ | niyari | smirk | A sly, knowing, or mischievous smirk/grin. | A villain smirking after revealing their evil plan, or a clever character showing they've understood something. | Localizers use 'smirk', 'grin', 'chuckle', or 'tee hee'. |
| メソメソ | mesomeso | whimper-whimper | Whimpering and sobbing weakly, often in a pathetic or helpless manner. | A character crying weakly after being bullied, or lamenting their misfortune. | Translated as 'whimper', 'sob', 'snivel', or 'boo-hoo'. |
| はぁ… | haa... | sigh | A sigh of resignation, relief, exhaustion, or exasperation. | A character sighing deeply after a long day, or accepting an unavoidable situation. | Commonly translated as 'sigh', 'huff', 'phew', or simply conveyed by ellipses and character expression. |
| ウワァァン | uwaaan | waaaah | Loud, unrestrained crying or wailing, often like a child. | A child crying loudly after falling, or an adult breaking down in overwhelming grief. | Translated as 'waaah', 'bawl', 'wail', or 'boo hoo hoo'. |
| ジトッ | jito' | gaze fixedly, damply | A cold, damp, or disgusted stare; giving someone the 'stink eye'. | A character giving an accusatory or disapproving look, often when someone does something foolish or perverted. | Translated as 'stare', 'glower', 'glare', 'damp look', or 'side-eye'. |
| ワァァァ | waaa | whoa, wow | A sound of awe, excitement, or a crowd cheering loudly. | A crowd cheering excitedly at a festival, or a character exclaiming in wonder at a beautiful sight. | Often localized as 'whoa', 'wow', 'yay', 'cheer', 'applause', or 'awe'. |
| シュン | shun | wilting | Feeling dejected, depressed, or downcast; 'wilting' in spirit. | A character with drooping shoulders and a sad expression after being scolded or failing at something. | Translated as 'dejected', 'downcast', 'sad', 'sigh', or simply conveyed by visual cues like 'wilting' plants or aura. |
| カァァァ | kaaaa | flush | A sudden deep blush, often from embarrassment or strong emotion. | A character's face turning bright red after a romantic compliment or an embarrassing situation. | Often translated as 'blush', 'flush', 'crimson', or visually represented by intense shading on the character's face. |
| ギギギ | gigigi | grind-grind | Grinding teeth in anger or frustration; a menacing sound. | A character clenching their jaw tightly, grinding their teeth in barely suppressed rage. | Translated as 'grind', 'gnash', 'grit teeth', 'grrr', or 'clench'. |
| ゲラゲラ | geragera | guffaw-guffaw | Loud, boisterous, often somewhat rude laughter; cackling. | A character laughing heartily at someone's misfortune, or a villain cackling maniacally. | Often localized as 'guffaw', 'cackle', 'belly laugh', or 'bwahahaha'. |
| プンプン | punpun | puff-puff | Being angry, sulking, or huffing in annoyance, often with puffed cheeks. | A chibi character with puffed cheeks, angrily turning their back on someone. | Translated as 'huff', 'pout', 'mad', 'grrr', or 'annoyed'. Often accompanied by visual 'steam' from ears. |
| ジワァァ | jiwaaa | slowly spread | Tears slowly welling up and spreading, often a silent, deep sadness or emotion. | A character silently crying with tears streaming down their face, slowly succumbing to sadness. | Translated as 'tears stream', 'welling up', 'slow sob', or 'silent tears'. |
| ホッ | ho' | exhale | A sigh of relief, comfort, or a light exhalation. | A character letting out a breath they didn't realize they were holding after a tense situation. | Translated as 'phew', 'whew', 'sigh of relief', or simply implied by context and a relaxed expression. |
| ニヤニヤ | niyaniya | smirk-smirk | Persistent or lingering smirking, often a teasing or smug expression. | A character continuously smirking while watching someone struggle, or being knowingly mischievous. | Translated as 'smirk', 'grinning', 'chuckle', or 'tee hee'. |
| ゾクッ | zoku' | shiver | A sudden chill or shiver, often from fear, an eerie feeling, or excitement. | A character feeling a sudden chill down their spine when sensing danger or an evil presence, or from a creepy story. | Translated as 'shiver', 'chill', 'creepy', 'goosebumps', or 'a shudder'. |
| ポロポロ | poroporo | drop-drop | Tears falling in large drops, or something crumbling/dropping. | A character crying with large, visible tears falling down their face, or a fragile object breaking apart. | Translated as 'tears falling', 'dropping tears', 'big tears', or 'crumble' for non-emotional contexts. |
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