英語、ドイツ語、イタリア語、古典ギリシャ語の独習記録です
Have you ever noticed that some English words sound exactly like what they mean? That’s the magic of onomatopoeia — words that are created from sounds. In Japanese, there are many such expressions like wan-wan (the sound of a dog barking) or zāzā (the sound of heavy rain). English also has plenty of sound-based words — especially verbs that come directly from these sounds.
Before we look at the examples, here’s a short and fun video that explains how native speakers use sound words in daily life:
| Animal | Sound (Onomatopoeia) | Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐶 Dog | bow-wow/woof | bark | The dog barked loudly. |
| 🐱 Cat | meow | meow | The cat meowed for food. |
| 🐮 Cow | moo | moo | The cow mooed in the field. |
| 🐑 Sheep | baa/baa-baa | bleat | The sheep bleated softly. |
| 🐐 Goat | baa/maa | bleat | The goat bleated near the barn. |
| 🐔 Hen / Chicken | cluck/cluck-cluck | cluck | The hen clucked after laying an egg. |
| 🐓 Rooster | cock-a-doodle-doo | crow | The rooster crowed at sunrise. |
| 🐴 Horse | neigh | neigh / whinny | The horse neighed when it saw its friend. |
| 🐖 Pig | oink | oink | The pigs oinked happily in the mud. |
| 🐦 Bird | tweet/chirp | tweet/chirp | The birds chirped in the trees. |
| 🐍 Snake | hiss | hiss | The snake hissed angrily. |
| 🐸 Frog | ribbit/croak | croak | The frog croaked near the pond. |
| 🦆 Duck | quack | quack | The duck quacked at the visitors. |
| 🐝 Bee | buzz | buzz | The bees buzzed around the flowers. |
| 🐘 Elephant | trumpet | trumpet | The elephant trumpeted loudly. |
| 🐺 Wolf | howl | howl | The wolves howled at the moon. |
Many of these verbs come directly from their sounds —so the action and the sound are one and the same.
| Sound Source | Sound (Onomatopoeia) | Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌧️ Rain | pitter-patter / drip-drop | drip/patter | The rain pattered on the roof all night. |
| ⚡ Thunder | boom/rumble / crash | rumble/ thunder | Thunder rumbled in the distance. |
| 🌬️ Wind | whoosh/ whirr/whistle | blow/whistle/ howl | The wind howled through the trees. |
| 🌊 Waves | splash/crash | splash/crash | The waves crashed against the rocks. |
| 🔥 Fire | crackle/pop | crackle | The fire crackled in the fireplace. |
| 💧 Water / River | gurgle/trickle | flow/gurgle / trickle | The stream gurgled gently through the valley. |
| 🚪 Door | bang/slam/creak | bang/slam/ creak | The door creaked open slowly. |
| 💨 Explosion | boom/bang/blast | explode/blast | A bomb exploded with a loud boom. |
These verbs imitate real-life sounds. They almost sound like the noise itself.
| Action / Emotion | Sound (Onomatopoeia) | Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 😂 Laughing | ha-ha/hee-hee / ho-ho | laugh/giggle / chuckle | She giggled when she saw the funny video. |
| 😴 Snoring | zzz/grr/rrr | snore | He snored loudly all night. |
| 🤫 Whispering | psst/shh | whisper | She whispered a secret to her friend. |
| 😢 Crying | sob/sniff/boo-hoo | sob/cry/sniffle | The child sobbed quietly after falling. |
| 😡 Shouting | ah!/hey!/ow! | shout/yell/ scream | He shouted for help. |
| 😤 Sighing | ahh/hmm/ugh | sigh/groan | She sighed with relief after the test. |
| 😠 Complaining | tsk/tut/hmph | grumble / mutter/moan | He grumbled about the cold weather. |
| 😲 Surprise | wow/oh!/ah! | exclaim/gasp | She gasped at the sight of the view. |
Notice how these sounds express both emotion and voice. They make English more expressive and fun to use.
English onomatopoeic verbs make the language come alive. From a dog that barks to thunder that rumbles, from laughter that giggles to rain that pitter-patters, these words let us hear the world through language itself. Once you start listening closely, you'll find that English is full of sounds.
Das Buch wurde im Jahr 1845 von Heinrich Hoffmann geschrieben. Es besteht aus vielen kurzen Geschichten mit Reimen. Jede Geschichte zeigt ein Kind, das etwas falsch macht – und was dann passiert. Manche Geschichten sind ein bisschen gruselig oder traurig,
aber auch lustig und interessant.
Ursprünglich war dieses Buch für kleine Kinder gedacht, aber heute lesen es meistens Schulkinder ab sechs Jahren, weil einige Geschichten ziemlich schockierend sind.
Meine Freundin aus meiner Deutschlerngruppe vor dreißig Jahren liest dieses Buch auf YouTube vor. In ihrem Video sieht man die Bilder und die deutschen Texte aus dem Original, aber sie liest den Text auf Japanisch vor. So kann man den Inhalt gut verstehen.
Außerdem habe ich ein anderes YouTube-Video gefunden, in dem ein deutscher Muttersprachler das Buch mit Bildern liest. Mit diesem Video kann man sehr gut Aussprache und Intonation üben.
Ich empfehle, beide Videos anzuschauen – zuerst das deutsche Video zum Hören und Sprechen, und dann das japanische Video, um den Inhalt besser zu verstehen.
主な内容(短編集のようになっています)
Der Struwwelpeter(もじゃもじゃペーター)
髪も爪も切らず、みっともない格好の少年。誰も近づかず、友達もできない。
Der böse Friederich(悪いフリードリヒ)
動物や人をいじめる少年。犬に噛まれて寝込んでしまう。
Das Mädchen mit dem Feuerzeug(マッチで遊ぶ女の子)
マッチを使って火遊びをした女の子が、ドレスに火がついて焼け死ぬ。
Die Geschichte von den schwarzen Buben(黒い子たちの話)
黒人をからかった少年がインクの中に落とされ、自分が真っ黒になる。
Suppen-Kaspar(スープを飲まないカスパー)
食事を拒み続け、5日目にやせ細って死んでしまう少年。
Zappel-Philipp(じっとしていられないフィリップ)
食卓で暴れてテーブルクロスを引き、食器を全部落としてしまう。
Daumenlutscher(親指しゃぶりの話)
母に「しゃぶったら仕立屋が来て切るよ」と言われたのに、しゃぶってしまい、
本当に親指を切り落とされる。
I bought this book about thirty years ago in Germany. It cost 14.80 Deutsche Marks, which was around 1,100 yen at that time.
The book was written in 1845 by Heinrich Hoffmann. It contains many short stories written in rhyme. Each story shows a child doing something wrong — and what happens after that. Some stories are a bit scary or sad, but also funny and interesting.
Originally, it was written for very young children, but today it is usually read by school-age children (6 and up), because some stories are a little shocking.
One of my female friends from my German study group thirty years ago is reading this book aloud on YouTube. In her video, you can see the original pictures and German text,
but she reads it in Japanese, so it’s easy to understand the meaning of each story.
I also found another YouTube video where a native German speaker reads the book while showing the pictures. With this video, you can practice pronunciation and intonation very well.
I recommend watching both videos — first the German version for listening and speaking practice, and then the Japanese version to understand the content more clearly.
I caught a cold in the summer for the first time in several years. Although some time has passed since then, I have been waking up with a dry throat for more than a month now. Also, during choir practice after Sunday service, I often find it difficult to sing as clearly as I want. It feels like there is a thin phlegm in my throat.
When I was in the second semester of my first year at music college, I lost my voice because of throat inflammation and couldn’t sing for three weeks. But during the practical exam, I had a miraculous experience — I was able to sing for three minutes. If that time was 10 at the worst, now it is less than 1, so I don’t go to the doctor. My vocal teacher, who is around the same age as I am, said that aging is the cause. 😅
I haven’t done anything special to care for my throat, but if aging is the cause, I think it might be time to use a humidifier again. I stopped using it for a few years because the windows in my condominium got unusually fogged with condensation. It’s like a never-ending cycle, but for my throat’s sake, I shouldn’t be lazy. 😅
Last week, I bought some throat candies for the first time in a while. “龍角散のど飴” is popular among singers, and I think it is the most affordable one. I also used to take Ricola’s (Swiss-made) herbal candies when I felt nauseous from migraines. They are, of course, good for the throat.
I used to be able to buy them easily at train station kiosks, but since their contract with Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.(山之内製薬) ended, they are now sold only at stores like 成城石井 that handle imported goods. Of course, you can also buy them in bulk on Amazon. There also seems to be a mint flavor. I will try that next time.
I suddenly remembered the word “スロートコート” which my choir teacher, who passed away five years ago, used to mention many years ago. I searched for it on Amazon and found “Throat Coat.” It seems to be a popular herbal tea that literally protects the throat and is loved by singers.
It’s a slightly sweet herbal tea. It doesn’t taste like medicine, but it’s not the kind of tea you can drink cup after cup. I found that drinking it before bed helps protect the throat and prevents dryness in the morning. I really recommend it. 😊
I usually have my vocal lesson on Saturday, but my teacher was going on a trip from Friday. So the lesson had to be on Thursday, three days before the service. Having several days in between made me a little worried. 😅
This time, I sang Hymn No. 396, “十字架のかげに”. Before the choir rehearsal, I practiced with the pianist. I planned to sing it one note higher than the original, but following her advice, I sang it one and a half notes higher instead.
Usually, raising it by another half note doesn’t make such a big difference, but for this hymn, I really felt I had to use much more breath and stronger abdominal muscles' support. I sent the video to my teacher for feedback, and she said, “Your voice is coming out better than before. I just wanted you to keep your focus and abdominal support a bit more in the fourth verse.”
Yes, I’ll do my best next time!!😃
Di solito faccio la lezione di canto il sabato, ma la mia insegnante partiva per un viaggio,
così la lezione è stata di giovedì, tre giorni prima del culto.
Ho cantato l’inno numero 396, “十字架のかげに”. Prima delle prove del coro, ho fatto pratica con la pianista. Ho cantato in una tonalità un po’ più alta del solito.
Ho mandato questo video alla mia insegnante, e lei ha detto: “La tua voce è più forte di prima. Continua con la concentrazione e il sostegno del respiro.”
Farò del mio meglio la prossima volta!!😃
I recently read Everyone Gets Gold Stars But Me! —
A short Peanuts story (for ages 2-4) I bought on Kindle about nine years ago for only 100 yen! It's just a 32-page picture book, simple enough to finish in less than ten minutes, but I had completely forgotten I’d read it back then.
When I checked Amazon this time, I was surprised to find that the Kindle version no longer exists and the paperback now costs around 1,500 yen. Apparently, it has become something of a collector's item!
Still, it’s a lovely book — full color, beautifully illustrated, and very easy to read even for English learners. As a lifelong Snoopy fan (not much into Disney, though 😊), I was simply happy to see these colorful Peanuts characters again. Sometimes a small, gentle story is all we need to make us smile.
