Onomatope – Fantastic World of Japanese Symbolic Words

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Japanese is a language packed with onomatopoeia. More than standing in for sounds, everything from expressions, movements, sensations and even personalities can be demonstrated via onomatopoeia. This is where Onomatope - Fantastic World of Japanese Symbolic words textbook comes in. Produced in conjunction with Ono Masahiro, a professor of Japanese Language at Meiji University, Onomatope is a vital (and fun) overview of Japanese onomatopoeic words.

Level: BeginnerJLPT Level: N4Language Style: CasualCompanion App: No

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What does Onomatope – Fantastic World of Japanese Symbolic Words cover?

Onomatope arranges its vocabulary across 10 chapters, each classified by a different kind of onomatopeia, for each navigation.

Part 1: Expressions and Feelings
Focuses on expressing emotions and feelings.
Part 2: Body Movements
Covers various physical movements and gestures.
Part 3: Mental & Physical Conditions
Explores states of mind and physical well-being.
Part 4: Personalities & Body Shapes
Describes traits, personalities, and physical appearances.
Part 5: Movements of Objects & People
Examines how objects and people move or interact.
Part 6: State of Things
Discusses conditions or states of objects and environments.
Part 7: Degrees & Manners
Focuses on intensity, degrees, and ways of doing things.
Part 8: Temperatures & Weather
Covers vocabulary related to weather and temperature conditions.
Part 9: Food & Cuisine
Explores food-related terms and culinary expressions.
Part 10: Sounds
Focuses on describing sounds and auditory experiences.

Student Review

This book is an excellent addition to whatever grammar focused textbook you may be using for your main study. It's a much more casual read than most, and acts as a good resource to have a quick flick through to find new, fun words to add to your vocabulary.

That's not to say that the book is overly simplistic, as onomatope goes in to the nuance of different onomatopoeic words, such as taking time to note the difference between a 'long warm and gentle smile - ニコニコ' and a 'momentary, warm and gentle smile ニッコリ'. Or maybe you want to express that you're crying feebly (しくしく), like a little child (エーン) or loudly (わんわん).

Onomatope is heavily illustrated throughout, providing a graphic to display the circumstances in which each Japanese onomatopoeia can be used. This is accompanied by a description of the word in both English and Japanese and an example of how to use it in a sentence.

The book is fairly fluffy, but as something to break up the monotony of grammar (which sometimes can feel like a math equation!) so it's a nice variation from the norm. It would make a great gift for someone studying Japanese.

Audio examples are also provided which you can listen to here.

In English, onomatopoeia is typically associated with sound, but in Japanese, onomatopoeia can be tied to anything from movement to feelings. Furthermore, this unique feature of the Japanese language makes it both fascinating and challenging for learners.

Onomatopoeia in Japanese is very important! In contrast, while it can often be seen as somewhat childish in English, they're used very often in casual Japanese speech, manga, and animation. Moreover, many of the words here aren't covered in your typical textbook, but they're just as important.

Tips for Self-Study

One fun way for Japanese language students to use this book would be to cover up the English text on the page to see if you can guess the meaning of the word from just the image and sound. Additionally, remember that reading alone won't quite help you grasp the understanding of onomatopoeia, so using the provided audio examples and reading them out loud works best.

The fonts used can be quite difficult to read for those still getting to grips with katakana and hiragana. However, stick to it! The typography here is used to help you understand the impact of the words used.

To ensure you've fully understood how each word is used, it's a good idea to create your own example sentences before moving to the next page.

Teacher Review

Before using Onomatope – Fantastic World of Japanese Symbolic Words:

What you want to read before approaching this book is entirely up to you! If you just want to pick up a few Japanese words, Onomatope doesn't require any prior Japanese knowledge.

To use much of the vocabulary in a sentence however you will want to have read at least Genki 1 as fitting Japanese onomatopeia in to sentences can be quite situational and specific.

What to read next?

The best way to practice is by reading some manga! Onomatopoeia in manga panels is often left untranslated to preserve the artistic integrity, making it a great opportunity for practice.