What Is “Guru Guru”? The Japanese Sound of Spinning, Whirling, or Confusion

09/23/2025

Ever spun around too fast and felt the world blur?
Or had so many thoughts that your head felt like it was spinning?

That’s when the Japanese onomatopoeia “Guru Guru” comes in — a sound and feel of constant rotation, whether physical or mental.

Before we dive in, hear what it sounds like!

Table of Contents

What is “Guru Guru” (ぐるぐる)?

“Guru Guru” is a Japanese onomatopoeia that describes something going round and round, or the dizzying swirl inside your head.

It’s used in two main ways:

Physical spinning — wheels turning, objects rotating, or someone spinning in circles.
Mental spinning — confusion, overthinking, or being unable to sort out thoughts.

It can be literal (a fan whirling) or figurative (your brain whirling with too much info).

Pronunciation

goo-roo goo-roo
(Say it with a rolling, continuous tone — like something spinning endlessly.)

What Does “Naruto” Mean in Japanese? The Famous Anime Character?

When you hear Naruto (なると), you might first think of the famous anime character.

But in Japanese food culture, Naruto (or Narutomaki) is actually a type of fish cake — kamaboko — often found in ramen or udon.

Naruto is known for its distinctive pink spiral pattern in the center.

That spiral looks like something spinning guru guru.

What Kind of Food Is It?

Made from surimi (processed white fish paste).
Steamed and sliced into thin rounds.
Commonly placed as a topping in ramen, adding both color and tradition.

In Japanese cooking, naruto doesn’t just add taste — it also adds a visual “whirl” that makes the bowl look more lively.

What Does “Guru Guru” Look Like?

It looks like:

A child twirling in the park until dizzy.
A spinning top whirling on the floor.
Your mind circling the same worries again and again.

How Do You Say It?

Say it in a rolling way, like a wheel:
Guru guru…

Like laundry tumbling in a machine,
or thoughts circling endlessly:
Guru guru…

Examples in Daily Life

Example 1: Dizzy from spinning

She turned in circles too many times,
the world around her kept whirling —
guru guru…

Example 2: Circus clown

At the circus, the clown rode a unicycle,
spinning round and round in the ring —
guru guru…

Just for reference, in Japanese, this would be:
ぴえろが、ぐるぐるとまわっているね。

Cultural Note

In English, you might say:

“Spinning round and round.”
“Dizzy.”
“Head’s in a whirl.”

But Japanese makes the sound part of the image. “Guru guru” lets you feel both the movement and the confusion — whether it’s a top spinning or your mind looping in circles.