What does "Jimejime" mean? 10 Japanese onomatopoeias used during the rainy season

What does "damp" mean?
In Japan, the rainy season known as "tsuyu" begins around June.
When it rains every day and the air feels heavy, the word Japanese people often use at times like this is "humid."

This "damp" is one of the expressions called "onomatopoeia" in Japanese.
Onomatopoeia is a distinctive Japanese expression that conveys sounds, movements, feelings, weather, etc. in a way that allows you to feel them through sound. Many of the words are made up of rhythm and repetition, so you can get a sense of the atmosphere just by listening to them.

For example, "damp" describes an uncomfortable, humid condition.
It has a similar meaning to the English words "humid" or "clammy," making it the perfect word for the rainy season.

There are many other onomatopoeias that are commonly used during the rainy season.

"Shitoshito": The sound of light rain falling quietly.
"Mushimushi": The heavy feeling of the air when it is hot and humid.
"Don't worry": Used when the sky is cloudy and feels heavy.
"Zazaza": A word that describes the sound of heavy rain falling.
"Drops": This is what happens when rain starts to fall in small drops.
"Damp": Used when something remains damp for a long period of time.
"Pikapika": The flash of lightning or a beautiful shine.
"Gorogoro": Can also be used to describe the sound of thunder or the sound of something rumbling or rolling.
"Moya-moya": Used when you feel uneasy or have unclear emotions.

As such, Japanese has many onomatopoeias that express weather and emotions, making it almost like you can "feel the seasons through sound" with words.
The rainy season can be a bit depressing, but if you learn about it in an interesting way through Japanese, you might be able to enjoy it from a different perspective!

Please try expressing today's weather and your mood using Japanese onomatopoeia.