In the introductory article, we mentioned 擬情語 (gijou-go) — mimetic words specifically for describing inner feelings. Japanese is incredibly rich when it comes to expressing emotions: there are multiple words just for "nervous," "happy," or "angry," each with distinctly different nuances. This article groups the most useful emotion words by feeling so you can learn them all in one go.
Nervousness & Excitement
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ドキドキ | どきどき | Heart pounding | Nervous, excited, or having a crush — works for all |
| ワクワク | わくわく | Eager anticipation | Purely positive excitement, like a kid waiting for Christmas |
| ハラハラ | はらはら | On the edge of your seat | Worrying about someone else; common when watching sports |
| ソワソワ | そわそわ | Restless, fidgety | Can't sit still; anxiously waiting |
ドキドキ is the most versatile one — it works for nervousness, crushes, and fear. Context makes it clear:
試験の前はドキドキする。 → I get nervous before exams.
好きな人に会うとドキドキする。 → My heart pounds when I see the person I like.
ワクワク is always positive anticipation — never used for fear:
旅行の前日はワクワクして眠れなかった。 → I was so excited the night before the trip that I couldn't sleep.
ハラハラ is for watching someone else and worrying on their behalf:
子供が木に登るのをハラハラしながら見ていた。 → I watched my kid climb a tree with my heart in my throat.
ソワソワ leans toward a "can't sit still" feeling, like waiting for important news:
結果が気になってソワソワしている。 → I'm restless because I can't stop thinking about the results.
Anger & Frustration
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| イライラ | いらいら | Irritated, frustrated | The most common word for "annoyed" |
| ムカムカ | むかむか | Nauseous / furious | Physical nausea or psychological anger |
| カリカリ | かりかり | Cranky, snappy | Getting upset over little things |
| プンプン | ぷんぷん | Fuming (mildly) | Lighter anger, slightly cute-sounding |
イライラ is the go-to word for everyday annoyance:
電車が遅れてイライラする。 → The train is late and it's so annoying.
ムカムカ has a dual meaning — it can be physical nausea or psychological fury:
食べすぎてムカムカする。 → I ate too much and feel nauseous.
あの態度にムカムカした。 → That attitude made me furious.
カリカリ describes the state of snapping at every little thing:
上司は朝からカリカリしている。 → The boss has been cranky since morning.
プンプン is lighter in tone and often used to describe children or women pouting:
彼女はプンプン怒っている。 → She's fuming (in a huffy sort of way).
Happiness & Joy
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ニコニコ | にこにこ | Smiling warmly | A warm, friendly smile |
| ウキウキ | うきうき | In high spirits | Cheerful, feeling like humming a tune |
| ルンルン | るんるん | Walking on air | So happy your steps feel light |
| ホッ | ほっ | Relieved | A sigh of relief after worry passes |
The difference between ニコニコ and ウキウキ: ニコニコ focuses on facial expression, while ウキウキ focuses on mood:
プレゼントをもらってニコニコしている。 → Got a present and is all smiles.
デートの日はウキウキする。 → I'm in such high spirits on date days.
ルンルン is a step beyond ウキウキ — you can picture someone practically skipping:
合格の知らせを聞いてルンルンで帰った。 → Heard I passed and went home practically skipping with joy.
ホッ is not a repeating type — it's a single relieved sigh:
無事に終わってホッとした。 → It ended safely and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Sadness & Dejection
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| シクシク | しくしく | Sobbing quietly | Crying softly, tears flowing silently |
| メソメソ | めそめそ | Crying weakly | Whimpering, with a hint of "stop crying already" |
| しょんぼり | しょんぼり | Dejected, crestfallen | Not necessarily crying, just visibly down |
シクシク is quiet, gentle crying:
子供がシクシク泣いている。 → The child is crying quietly.
メソメソ carries a slightly negative judgment, implying "toughen up":
メソメソしないで、元気を出して。 → Stop whimpering — cheer up!
しょんぼり is the only one written in hiragana (not a repeating type), expressing visible dejection:
テストに落ちてしょんぼりしている。 → Failed the test and is looking dejected.
Grammar Patterns: Three Key Usages
Emotion mimetic words most commonly appear in three patterns:
| Usage | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| As a verb | mimetic word + する | イライラする (to be irritated) |
| Ongoing state | mimetic word + している | ドキドキしている (heart is pounding) |
| Modifying a verb | mimetic word + と + verb | ニコニコと話す (speak with a smile) |
Note: ホッ and しょんぼり are special cases — they typically appear as ホッとする and しょんぼりする, and rarely use the "~ と + verb" pattern.
Quick Reference
| Emotion | Mimetic Word | One-Liner |
|---|---|---|
| Nervous / Crushing | ドキドキ | Heart pounding |
| Eager / Excited | ワクワク | Positive anticipation |
| On edge for others | ハラハラ | Watching nervously |
| Restless | ソワソワ | Can't sit still |
| Irritated | イライラ | The everyday "annoyed" |
| Nauseous / Furious | ムカムカ | Physical or emotional |
| Cranky | カリカリ | Snapping at everything |
| Mildly fuming | プンプン | Cute-sounding anger |
| Smiling | ニコニコ | Warm smile |
| In high spirits | ウキウキ | Feeling like humming |
| Walking on air | ルンルン | Light-footed joy |
| Relieved | ホッ | Sigh of relief |
| Sobbing quietly | シクシク | Silent tears |
| Whimpering | メソメソ | "Stop crying already" vibe |
| Dejected | しょんぼり | Visibly down |
Summary
- Emotion mimetic words fall into four groups: nervousness/excitement, anger/frustration, happiness/joy, and sadness/dejection
- ドキドキ is the most versatile — works for both positive and negative; ワクワク is positive only
- イライラ is the most common everyday word for "annoyed"; プンプン is the cute version of anger
- Key grammar: + する (verb), + している (ongoing state), + と + verb (modifier)
Practice Quiz
Q1. Both ドキドキ and ワクワク can translate as "excited." When should you use which?
Show Answer
- ドキドキ → Heart pounding — can be nervousness, fear, a crush, or excitement (both positive and negative)
- ワクワク → Eager anticipation — only for positive excitement (looking forward to a trip, a gift, etc.)
Quick rule: if it's "scared-nervous," use ドキドキ; if it's "can't-wait-happy," use ワクワク.
Q2. Translate this into Japanese: "That attitude really annoyed me."
Show Answer
あの態度にイライラする。 or あの態度にムカムカした。
イライラ leans toward ongoing frustration, while ムカムカ leans toward a sudden flash of anger. Both work.
Q3. What's the difference between しょんぼり and メソメソ?
Show Answer
- しょんぼり → Dejected, crestfallen — not necessarily crying, just visibly down
- メソメソ → Whimpering, crying weakly — with a negative nuance of "stop that already"
しょんぼり is a state of low spirits; メソメソ is active (weak) crying that others find tiresome.