Japanese Manga Sound Effects: 75 SFX Glossary with Meanings
Japanese manga sound effects are the big hand-drawn words that fill the panels: ドーン when something lands, ドキドキ when a heart races, シーン when a room goes silent. This glossary lists 75 of the ones you will meet most, grouped by what they describe, with kana, Hepburn romanization, meaning and a usage note for each.
Japanese has far more of these words than English, and many of them are not sounds at all. They describe moods, textures and ways of moving, and the same words appear in everyday speech, not just comics. Learning them is one of the fastest ways to make manga pages readable.
Quick answer: Manga sound effects are called 擬音語 (giongo, words that imitate sounds) and 擬態語 (gitaigo, words that depict states or feelings). The most common include ドキドキ (heart pounding), ゴゴゴ (looming menace), ドーン (boom), ガーン (shock) and シーン (silence). Most are real dictionary words used in daily Japanese.
On this page
What are manga sound effects called in Japanese?
Japanese splits these words into types, and the names help you look them up:
- 擬音語 (giongo): imitations of real sounds, like バン (bang) or ザーザー (pouring rain).
- 擬声語 (giseigo): voices of people and animals, like ワンワン (woof) or ハクション (achoo).
- 擬態語 (gitaigo): words for states and movements that make no sound, like キラキラ (sparkling) or ふわふわ (fluffy).
- 擬情語 (gijōgo): words for feelings, like イライラ (irritation) or ワクワク (excitement). Many people simply count these as gitaigo.
In everyday talk all of them are lumped together as オノマトペ (onomatope). Manga artists also invent one-off effects, so you will see some that no dictionary has. The ones below are standard.
How to read manga SFX: the spelling rules
A few spelling patterns carry meaning, and once you know them you can guess unfamiliar effects:
- Katakana vs. hiragana: katakana tends to look louder, harder or more dramatic; hiragana feels softer or cuter. The same word can appear in either.
- Small ッ at the end: an abrupt, single action that stops short, as in ドキッ (a sudden jolt). In the tables below it is shown as an apostrophe: doki'.
- Long mark ー: the sound stretches out: ドーン rings longer than ドン.
- Final ン: a ringing or echoing finish, as in キーン.
- Doubling: a repeated form means the action continues or repeats: ドキッ is one jolt, ドキドキ is a heart that keeps pounding.
The 10 manga sound effects to learn first
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ドキドキ | どきどき | dokidoki | heart pounding | Nerves, excitement or a crush |
| ゴゴゴゴ | ごごごご | gogogogo | rumbling, looming menace | Famous from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure |
| ドーン | どーん | dōn | boom; dramatic reveal | Also stamps a big moment |
| ガーン | がーん | gān | shock, feeling crushed | Like a gong going off in the head |
| シーン | しーん | shīn | dead silence | An awkward pause after a bad joke |
| キラキラ | きらきら | kirakira | sparkling, glittering | Eyes, stars, a pretty face |
| ニヤニヤ | にやにや | niyaniya | smirking, grinning | Knowing or teasing grin |
| イライラ | いらいら | iraira | irritated, on edge | Also a normal verb: イライラする |
| ジーッ | じーっ | jī' | staring fixedly | Someone watching without blinking |
| バン | ばん | ban | bang, slam | Doors, tables, gunshots |
Impacts, fights and explosions
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ドン | どん | don | thump, bang | One Piece is famous for its big ドン!! |
| ドカーン | どかーん | dokān | big explosion | |
| バキッ | ばきっ | baki' | crack, snap | A punch landing or wood breaking |
| ドゴッ | どごっ | dogo' | heavy blunt hit | Deeper and duller than バキッ |
| ボコボコ | ぼこぼこ | bokoboko | beating someone up | ボコボコにする: to beat to a pulp |
| ズバッ | ずばっ | zuba' | clean slash | Sword cuts |
| ガキン | がきん | gakin | metal clash | Blades meeting |
| シュッ | しゅっ | shu' | swish, quick movement | Fast dodge or throw |
| ヒュン | ひゅん | hyun | whoosh past | Arrows, thrown objects |
| ドドドド | どどどど | dododo | thundering, rushing | Stampedes; also menace in JoJo |
Doors, phones and everyday objects
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ガチャ | がちゃ | gacha | click, clack | A door handle or lock; also capsule toys |
| バタン | ばたん | batan | door slamming shut | Also something falling flat |
| ガラッ | がらっ | gara' | sliding door thrown open | Classroom entrances |
| ピンポーン | ぴんぽーん | pinpōn | doorbell | Also the "correct answer" chime |
| プルルル | ぷるるる | pururu | phone ringing | |
| カチッ | かちっ | kachi' | click | A switch or a pen |
| コンコン | こんこん | konkon | knock knock | Also a light cough |
| ガシャン | がしゃん | gashan | crash | Breaking dishes or glass |
| ガタガタ | がたがた | gatagata | rattling | Also shivering with fear or cold |
| ビリビリ | びりびり | biribiri | ripping; electric tingle | Paper tearing or a shock |
Weather and nature
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ザーザー | ざーざー | zāzā | pouring rain | Heavy, steady rain |
| ポツポツ | ぽつぽつ | potsupotsu | first drops of rain | Also "bit by bit" |
| ゴロゴロ | ごろごろ | gorogoro | rumble of thunder | Also rolling, or lazing around |
| ピカッ | ぴかっ | pika' | flash | Lightning or a sudden light |
| ヒュー | ひゅー | hyū | wind whistling | Also a cold, empty mood |
| ミーンミーン | みーんみーん | mīn mīn | cicada song | Instant shorthand for summer |
| ザワザワ | ざわざわ | zawazawa | murmur, rustle; unease | Kaiji made ざわ…ざわ… iconic |
Eating, breathing and bodies
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ゴクッ | ごくっ | goku' | gulp | Also ゴクリ: nervous swallow |
| モグモグ | もぐもぐ | mogumogu | munching | Chewing with a full mouth |
| ズルズル | ずるずる | zuruzuru | slurping; dragging | Noodles, or dragging something along |
| パクッ | ぱくっ | paku' | chomp, one quick bite | |
| グゥ | ぐぅ | gū | stomach growling | Hungry character, usually comic |
| ハァハァ | はぁはぁ | hāhā | panting | Out of breath |
| ゴホゴホ | ごほごほ | gohogoho | coughing | A heavier cough than コンコン |
| ハクション | はくしょん | hakushon | achoo | Sneeze |
| チュッ | ちゅっ | chu' | kiss | A quick peck |
| ぎゅっ | ぎゅっ | gyu' | tight squeeze, hug | Often in hiragana |
Feelings and reactions
These gitaigo are the ones you most need for real conversation. Many take する and become verbs (ワクワクする, to be excited), and they come up constantly in dramas and daily speech.
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ドキッ | どきっ | doki' | a jolt, heart skips | Surprise, guilt or sudden attraction |
| ギクッ | ぎくっ | giku' | startled, caught out | When someone hits a nerve |
| ゾクッ | ぞくっ | zoku' | a chill down the spine | Fear, or a thrill |
| ビクッ | びくっ | biku' | flinch | Jumping at a noise |
| ムカッ | むかっ | muka' | flash of anger | ムカつく: to be annoyed |
| プンプン | ぷんぷん | punpun | huffy, sulky anger | Cute or childish anger |
| ワクワク | わくわく | wakuwaku | excited anticipation | Before a trip or a match |
| ソワソワ | そわそわ | sowasowa | restless, fidgety | Waiting for results |
| モジモジ | もじもじ | mojimoji | shy fidgeting | Too shy to speak up |
| オロオロ | おろおろ | orooro | flustered, at a loss | Doesn't know what to do |
| ポッ | ぽっ | po' | blushing | Cheeks turning pink |
| ニコッ | にこっ | niko' | a quick smile | ニコニコ is a steady smile |
| ギロッ | ぎろっ | giro' | glare | ジロジロ is looking someone up and down |
| ドヤッ | どやっ | doya' | smug, "how about that" | From ドヤ顔 (doya-gao, smug face) |
| ポカーン | ぽかーん | pokān | dumbfounded, mouth open | |
| ぼーっ | ぼーっ | bō' | spacing out | ぼーっとする: to zone out |
Movement, sleep and tears
| Kanji/kana | Reading | Hepburn | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| スタスタ | すたすた | sutasuta | walking briskly | Walking off without looking back |
| トボトボ | とぼとぼ | tobotobo | trudging | Walking home after bad news |
| ダダダ | だだだ | dadada | running footsteps | |
| ドタバタ | どたばた | dotabata | commotion, clatter | Also slapstick: ドタバタ劇 |
| ピョン | ぴょん | pyon | hop | Rabbits, cheerful jumps |
| ピタッ | ぴたっ | pita' | sudden stop | Also fitting exactly |
| うとうと | うとうと | utouto | dozing off | Nodding off in class |
| すやすや | すやすや | suyasuya | sleeping peacefully | Babies and pets |
| グーグー | ぐーぐー | gūgū | snoring | Deep, loud sleep |
| ポロポロ | ぽろぽろ | poroporo | tears falling | Big drops, one by one |
| しくしく | しくしく | shikushiku | quiet sobbing | Also a dull, nagging pain |
| じゃーん | じゃーん | jān | ta-da! | Showing something off |
Are manga sound effects real Japanese words?
Mostly, yes. Almost every effect in the tables above is in standard dictionaries and turns up in everyday speech: a doctor may ask whether a pain is ズキズキ (throbbing) or チクチク (prickling), and a weather forecast can mention ジメジメ (muggy) weather. Some are strictly comic shorthand, like ゴゴゴゴ or ドドドド as menace, and artists coin new ones all the time. If a dictionary has no entry, read it by the spelling rules above and the picture.
What level do you need to read manga SFX?
You can start at JLPT N5. Effects are written in kana, so the only barrier is knowing what they mean, and that is a matter of exposure, not grammar. JLPT prep books for N3 and N2 usually include a whole chapter on onomatopoeia, so learning them early pays off later. Beginner-friendly manga such as Yotsuba&! and Chi's Sweet Home are packed with everyday gitaigo; see the best manga for beginner Japanese learners for more.
How to learn sound effects from manga
- Read the raw, not a translation. Official English editions often shrink, replace or remove effects. A Japanese edition keeps them all.
- Learn the doubled and single forms together. ドキドキ and ドキッ, ニコニコ and ニコッ: one card can teach both.
- Notice which ones take する. Those are the ones you can use in speech: ソワソワする, イライラする, ぼーっとする.
- Hear them too. Anime characters say many of these aloud, which fixes the rhythm in your ear. Pair a manga with its anime when you can.
For a full routine, read our guide to how to learn Japanese from manga. Korean has its own rich system of sound words, covered in our Korean onomatopoeia glossary.
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Manga reading is real reading practice, and it adds up quickly. Log each volume or session in LangTrack to see your reading hours grow next to your listening time, and browse more guides on our Japanese hub.
Frequently asked questions
What are manga sound effects called in Japanese?
They are called giongo (擬音語) for imitated sounds and gitaigo (擬態語) for states, movements and feelings. In casual speech, all of them are called onomatope (オノマトペ).
What does gogogo mean in manga?
ゴゴゴゴ (gogogogo) is a deep rumbling that signals looming menace or intense pressure. It is closely associated with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
What does doki doki mean?
ドキドキ (dokidoki) is the sound of a pounding heart. It describes nervousness, excitement or having a crush, and ドキッ (doki) is a single sudden jolt.
Why are manga sound effects written in katakana?
Katakana makes an effect look louder and more dramatic. Softer or cuter effects are often written in hiragana instead, and the same word can appear in either script.
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