Bootstrap Chinese Grammar

Learn Chinese Grammar step-by-step

Chinese grammar - Common onomatopoeia

Common onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate natural sounds.

These words mimic the sounds of animals, objects, and actions, making descriptions more vivid.

In Chinese, these words can be used as verbs.

Examples:
狗汪汪叫。
gǒu wāngwāng jiào.
The dog barks.

汪汪 (wāngwāng) means 'woof woof (sound of a dog barking)'

猫在喵喵叫。
māo zài miāomiāo jiào.
The cat is meowing.

喵喵 (miāomiāo) means 'meow (sound of a cat)'

鸡咯咯叫了。
jī gēgē jiào le.
The chicken clucked.

() means 'chicken'

咯咯 (gēgē) means 'cluck cluck (sound of a chicken)'

蜂鸟嗡嗡飞。
fēngniǎo wēngwēng fēi.
The hummingbird buzzes.

蜂鸟 (fēngniǎo) means 'hummingbird'

嗡嗡 (wēngwēng) means 'buzz (sound of a hummingbird or bee)'

小鸟叽叽叫。
xiǎo niǎo jījī jiào.
The little bird chirps.

(niǎo) means 'bird'

叽叽 (jījī) means 'chirp chirp (sound of a bird)'

小鸭嘎嘎叫。
xiǎo yā gāgā jiào.
The little duck quacks.

() means 'duck'

嘎嘎 (gāgā) means 'quack quack (sound of a duck)'

牛哞哞叫。
niú mōumōu jiào.
The cow moos.

(niú) means 'cow'

哞哞 (mōumōu) means 'moo (sound of a cow)'

马嘶嘶叫。
mǎ sīsī jiào.
The horse neighs.

() means 'horse'

嘶嘶 (sīsī) means 'neigh (sound of a horse)'

鱼在水中扑通跳。
yú zài shuǐzhōng pūtōng tiào.
The fish splashes in the water.

水中 (shuǐzhōng) means 'in the water'

扑通 (pūtōng) means 'plop (sound of something falling into water)'

风呼呼吹。
fēng hūhū chuī.
The wind blows with a whooshing sound.

呼呼 (hūhū) means 'whoosh (sound of wind blowing)'

(chuī) means 'to blow'

雨哗哗下。
yǔ huāhuā xià.
The rain pours with a rushing sound.

哗哗 (huāhuā) means 'splash (sound of water flowing)'

心脏怦怦跳。
xīnzàng pēngpēng tiào.
The heart pounds.

心脏 (xīnzàng) means 'heart'

怦怦 (pēngpēng) means 'thump thump (sound of a heartbeat)'

车子轰隆隆开过。
chēzi hōnglōnglōng kāiguò.
The car drives by with a rumbling sound.

车子 (chēzi) means 'car'

轰隆隆 (hōnglónglóng) means 'rumble (sound of a car or thunder)'

开过 (kāiguò) means 'to drive by'

肚子咕噜叫。
dùzi gūlū jiào.
The stomach growls.

咕噜 (gūlū) means 'gurgle (sound of water or stomach)'

蚊子嗡嗡飞。
wénzi wēngwēng fēi.
The mosquito buzzes.

蚊子 (wénzi) means 'mosquito'