iyashiokami

I am interested in learning some of the more useful Japanese onomatopoeia.  I have only heard a few, but I know there are numerous onomatopoeia and lots of ways to use them.

Here are the few that I know (please correct me if I'm wrong):

kira kira - twinkle, shine

kero kero - the sound of a frog croak

doki doki - heartbeat

wan wan - bow wow (the sound of a dog)

Thanks!

I learned in a classroom setting, but the exercises which helped me the most involved writing complete sentences.  After seeing and writing complete words with context enough times, I could eventually see the sound instead of the strokes.

Of course, tons of studying and memorization also helps. 

I am definitely guilty of overusing "lol" when communicating through text.  I know that it can annoy people (and I actively try to avoid doing it), but I think its a habit that's hard to break.  Since it's hard to convey tone with text, I end up using "lol" when I feel the need to make the recipient more comfortable with what I am saying.  Emoticons are another thing I overuse for this reason. 

As the language I'm learning is Japanese, it is very fun to write in.  However, it can be very difficult for someone who only knows English.  Memorizing hiragana and katakana is easy enough, but learning the stroke order and meanings of a large amount of Kanji can be overwhelming.  Overcoming that challenge is definitely rewarding, and writing in Japanese sometimes feels like creating art.

Hi!  I am an English speaker looking to learn more about other languages.  I'd also like to help others with English if possible.  I've taken multiple courses in Spanish and Japanese in an attempt to learn them, but without language practice, the knowledge doesn't stick.  I am most interested in Japanese.

Thanks!