Category 1: Giseigo — Voices of the Living
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."
Human Sounds
Animal Sounds
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.
Category 2: Giongo — Sounds of the Inanimate
Giongo cover everything that isn't alive: weather, impacts, machinery, materials breaking, water moving. These are the sound effects of the physical world.
Water and Liquid
Fire and Heat
Wind and Air
Thunder and Lightning
Earth and Seismic
Impact and Collision
Cutting and Slicing
Breaking and Destruction
Pressure and Compression
Metal and Mechanical
Category 3: Gitaigo — States Without Sound
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.
Tactile and Surface States
Stability and Motion States
Temperature and Sensation States
Fluid and Material States
Light and Visual States
Category 4: Giyougo — Movement Made Audible
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.
Speed and Movement
Falling and Collapse
Grabbing and Binding
Stretching and Deformation
Category 5: Gijougo — The Sound of Feeling
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.
Anxiety and Fear
Anger and Frustration
Disorientation and Confusion
Pain and Physical Distress
Positive Emotions and Energy
Alertness and Energy States
Lethargy and Shutdown States
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