Jazz up your Japanese with onomatopoeia - Hiroko Fukuda

One of the hurdles to overcome when learning to speak Japanese is learning to use onomatopoeia in the way that the Japanese do. This text offers an introduction to the subject for beginners. It defines onomatopoeia, explains its role in Japanese language and culture and gives examples of usage. There are many hurdles to overcome in learning to speak Japanese naturally, but the biggest is learning to use onomatopoeia in the way that the Japanese do: to give nuance or shades of meaning. This text is divided into two parts. The first is an introduction to the subject for