Sound & Mimetic Words 의성어·의태어
Korean words that copy sounds and movements.
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1 / 20 Korean is famous for its sound and mimetic words. Onomatopoeia (의성어) copies sounds, like 똑똑 for knocking, and mimetic words (의태어) describe how something looks or moves, like 반짝반짝 for twinkling. Koreans use them constantly in daily talk, songs, webtoons and drama dialogue, so they make your Korean sound natural. This set covers 20 common ones for knocking, rain, water, light, heartbeats, walking and rolling. Most are doubled, like 졸졸 and 두근두근, and changing the vowels changes the feeling, for example 반짝반짝 is lighter and 번쩍번쩍 is stronger. You can use many of them with 하다 (두근두근하다) or just before a verb: 비가 주룩주룩 와요 (the rain pours down). Do not worry about getting the nuance perfect at first; the pictures will help you feel the meaning.
Say each word with matching body movements or facial expression. Your body will remember the meaning faster than a translation.
Word list
Tap a card to start the player from that word.
- 똑똑ttokttok knock knock
- 쾅kwang bang! / slam
- 반짝반짝banjjakbanjjak twinkle twinkle / sparkling
- 두근두근dugeundugeun thump-thump (heart pounding)
- 보슬보슬boseulboseul drizzling softly
- 주룩주룩jurukjuruk pouring (rain)
- 졸졸joljol trickling (water)
- 콸콸kwalkwal gushing (water)
- 쿵쿵kungkung thump thump (heavy steps)
- 퐁당pongdang plop / splash
- 쨍그랑jjaenggeurang clink / crash of glass
- 째깍째깍jjaekkakjjaekkak tick-tock
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- 꿀꺽kkulkkeok gulp
- 사각사각sagaksagak scratching / crunching lightly
- 살금살금salgeumsalgeum sneakily / tiptoeing
- 폴짝폴짝poljjakpoljjak hopping / jumping lightly
- 데굴데굴deguldegul rolling (something big)
- 빙글빙글binggeulbinggeul round and round
- 철썩cheolsseok splash / slap of waves
- 펄펄peolpeol fluttering (snow falling thickly)
Ready-to-use sentence
- 문에서 똑똑 소리가 나요.There is a knocking sound at the door.
- 가슴이 두근두근해요.My heart is pounding.
- 비가 주룩주룩 와요.The rain is pouring down.
- 별이 반짝반짝 빛나요.The stars twinkle.
- 배에서 꼬르륵 소리가 나요.My stomach is rumbling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 의성어 and 의태어?
의성어 imitates sounds (똑똑 knocking), while 의태어 imitates motions or looks (반짝반짝 twinkling).
Why are most of them doubled?
Repeating the word shows that the sound or movement keeps going, like 졸졸 for a continuous trickle. Some single forms, like 쾅, are used for one sudden sound.
Can I change the vowel to change the feeling?
Yes. Light vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) feel small and soft, and dark vowels (ㅓ, ㅜ) feel bigger and heavier, for example 반짝반짝 and 번쩍번쩍.
Word chart on one page
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