Part ①: words like 「ワクワク」 and 「ドキドキ」, which express feelings and states
Part ②: words like 「ザーザー」 and 「ドンドン」, which express sounds you can actually hear
Part ③: words like 「フワフワ」 and 「ツルツル」, which express how something feels when you touch it
Part ④: words like 「テクテク」 and 「ピョンピョン」, which express people's movement and ways of walking
This time, we will look at a group that is very close to everyday life.
These are words that describe the way people eat and drink, and the texture of food, called 「食感」（しょっかん /ɕo̞kkaɴ/, how food feels in the mouth）.
Eating well: 「パクパク」
Chewing with the mouth moving: 「モグモグ」
Being very hungry: 「ペコペコ」
Meals happen every day, so these sound-symbolic words appear very often in conversation. You will hear and see them in restaurants, at home, on social media, in manga, and in many other places. If you learn them today, your conversations about food will sound much more natural.
Today, we will study eight words for eating, drinking, and food texture. For each one, we will look at what it describes and how to use it, with examples.
Japanese sound-symbolic words, called 「オノマトペ」（おのまとぺ /o̞no̞mato̞pe̞/, words that imitate sounds or express states）, have two main types. Let us quickly review what we learnt before.
Type
What it represents
Examples
「擬音語」（ぎおんご /ɡioŋɡo/, sound-imitating words）: words that turn sounds into language
Sounds you can actually hear
「ザーザー」（rain sound）, 「ゴクゴク」（drinking sound）
「擬態語」（ぎたいご /ɡitaigo/, state-describing words）: words that turn states into language
States, feelings, and food texture (without an actual sound)
「パクパク」（eating actively）, 「ペコペコ」（being hungry）
Words for eating and drinking include both types.
「ゴクゴク」 is close to a sound word, because it describes a drinking sound you can actually hear.
「ペコペコ」 and 「サクサク」 describe a state or a texture, so they are mimetic words.
You do not need to divide them perfectly. If you notice whether a sound can be heard or whether the word describes a state, it becomes easier to remember the meaning.
Meaning: Chewing food slowly and well with the mouth closed. It shows that there is food inside the mouth.
Use it when someone is eating slowly and chewing well, or when their mouth is full.
Example sentences:
「口にいれたまま、モグモグしている。」（They are chewing with food still in their mouth.）
「よくモグモグかんで食べましょう。」（Let us chew well before swallowing.）
「口がモグモグしていて、返事ができない。」（Their mouth is full and chewing, so they cannot reply.）
Difference from 「パクパク」: 「パクパク」 describes putting food into the mouth one bite after another. 「モグモグ」 describes chewing inside the mouth. They show different moments in the action of eating.
Meaning: Eating with strong energy because you are hungry and cannot hold back. It gives the feeling that appetite is stronger than manners.
Use it when someone is very hungry, or when someone eats quickly.
Example sentences:
「おなかがすいて、ガツガツ食べた。」（I was hungry, so I ate in a rush.）
「そんなにガツガツ食べないで、ゆっくり食べよう。」（Do not eat so aggressively. Let us eat slowly.）
「運動のあと、ガツガツごはんを食べた。」（After exercise, I ate rice with great energy.）
Note: 「ガツガツ」 can sound a little ill-mannered. Be careful when you say it about another person. When you talk about yourself, it can be used in a light or funny way.
Meaning: Drinking a lot with strong energy. It also includes the sound from the throat, like 「ゴクッ」.
It is perfect when you are thirsty, or when you drink a cold drink in one go.
Example sentences:
「暑かったので、水をゴクゴク飲んだ。」（It was hot, so I drank water quickly.）
「ジュースをゴクゴク飲む音が聞こえる。」（I can hear the sound of someone drinking juice quickly.）
「子どもが牛にゅうをゴクゴク飲んでいる。」（A child is drinking milk eagerly.）
Usage tip: 「ゴクゴク」 is close to 「擬音語」 because it suggests a drinking sound. If you say 「ゴクッ」 once, it means one gulp, as in 「水をゴクッと飲んだ。」（I took one gulp of water.）
Meaning: Being hungry. It is often used in the form 「おなかがペコペコ」.
This is a very useful word before meals, or when you have not eaten for a long time.
Example sentences:
「朝からなにも食べていなくて、おなかがペコペコだ。」（I have not eaten anything since morning, so I am very hungry.）
「おなかがペコペコで、力が出ない。」（I am so hungry that I have no energy.）
「もうペコペコだよ。早くごはんにしよう。」（I am already very hungry. Let us eat soon.）
Note: 「ペコペコ」 has one more meaning. It can also describe bowing the head many times, as in 「店長にペコペコする。」（to keep bowing to the manager）. For food, it appears with 「おなかが」. For bowing, it appears with 「人に」. The words that come with it are different.
Meaning: A light, clear bite when you chew fresh vegetables or similar foods. It feels juicy, fresh, and pleasant.
Use it for lettuce, cucumber, apples, bean sprouts, and other fresh vegetables and fruit.
Example sentences:
「このサラダはシャキシャキしている。」（This salad has a crisp bite.）
「りんごがシャキシャキしておいしい。」（The apple is crisp and tasty.）
「もやしのシャキシャキした食感が好きだ。」（I like the crisp texture of bean sprouts.）
Difference from 「サクサク」: 「サクサク」 is a dry, light texture, like a cookie. 「シャキシャキ」 is the juicy texture of fresh vegetables. Both have a pleasant bite, but the difference is whether there is moisture.
Meaning: A texture that is warm, soft, and slightly dry in a pleasant way. It suggests warmth spreading in the mouth.
Use it for potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, roasted sweet potatoes, and similar foods.
Example sentences:
「ふかしたじゃがいもがホクホクだ。」（The steamed potato is warm and soft.）
「やきいもはホクホクであまい。」（The roasted sweet potato is warm, soft, and sweet.）
「かぼちゃをホクホクに煮た。」（I cooked the pumpkin until it became soft and fluffy.）
Usage tip: Besides texture, 「ホクホク」 can also express a happy feeling, as in 「おこづかいをもらってホクホク顔。」（a happy face after receiving pocket money）. It has an image of warmth and satisfaction.
Eating and texture words are very useful for briefly describing taste, texture, and the way someone eats. Even without a long explanation, the image becomes clear quickly.
「ごはんをパクパク食べたよ。」（I ate rice heartily.）
「このパン、サクサクでおいしい。」（This bread is crisp and tasty.）
「おなかがペコペコだから、早く食べよう。」（I am very hungry, so let us eat soon.）
Compared with only saying "I ate" or "It is tasty", these words show both the way of eating and the texture. They are often used during meals with family and friends.
Texture words are very common in food descriptions. You will see them on restaurant menus, social media posts, and food reviews.
「外はサクサク、中はジューシー。」（Crisp outside, juicy inside.）
「シャキシャキ野菜のサラダ。」（A salad with crisp vegetables.）
「ホクホクのさつまいもを使ったケーキ。」（A cake made with warm, soft sweet potato.）
When texture words are included, readers can imagine the taste more easily. If you use them when introducing food, the deliciousness comes across more clearly.
Eating sounds are 「擬音語」, and textures or states are 「擬態語」
Many of these words repeat the same sound twice
You can add 「〜と」, 「〜する」, or 「〜だ」 to use them in sentences
They communicate not only the state, but also deliciousness and feeling
When you can use eating and texture words, you can describe meals more vividly in Japanese. Start with the words you are most likely to use, such as 「パクパク」 and 「ペコペコ」, and try them in your next meal conversation.
Next time, in Japanese Onomatopoeia ⑥, we will look at sound-symbolic words that describe feelings and states in more detail.
We will study expressions that put people's inner feelings into words, such as 「イライラ」（angry or annoyed）, 「ソワソワ」（restless）, and 「ニコニコ」（smiling happily）.
Please look forward to it.
