Ever seen a single tear fall quietly down someone’s cheek?
Or many tears streaming one after another like rain?
In Japanese, these delicate moments are captured by two sounds:
Porori (ぽろり)
Poro Poro (ぽろぽろ)
What is “Porori” (ぽろり)?
A single, gentle drop — something small falls softly, quietly, and beautifully.
It often carries an emotional weight — sadness, nostalgia, or fragility.
Used for:
- A single tear
- A bead slipping off a string
- A petal or small object falling silently
Nuance:
Momentary, delicate, poetic — it’s the sound of one small moment.
Example:
She looked up at the sky,
and one tear fell —
porori…
Pronunciation
po-ro ree
(short and soft, like a sigh)
What is “Poro Poro” (ぽろぽろ)?
A series of small drops — many things falling one after another, rhythmically and continuously.
It can express tears, grains, or even crumbs — soft, repeated motion.
Used for:
- Tears falling in succession
- Raindrops trickling
- Small objects spilling or scattering
Nuance:
Continuous, emotional, sometimes uncontrolled — like something overflowing.
Example:
Her tears streamed down,
one after another —
poro poro…
Pronunciation
po-ro po-ro
(longer and repetitive, with gentle rhythm)
Cultural Note
In English, both could be translated as “tears falling” or “drops falling”,
but in Japanese, the distinction is deeply emotional:
- Porori (ぽろり) = one small, quiet fall
- Poro Poro (ぽろぽろ) = many small drops falling repeatedly
So in anime, novels, or poems:
When tears keep flowing → it’s poro poro.
When one tear slips down → it’s porori.
Examples in Daily Life
Example 1: Single tear (Porori)
He heard the news,
and one tear fell —
porori…
Example 2: Continuous tears (Poro Poro)
She missed him dearly,
and tears streamed down —
poro poro…
Try Using Them!
When something small and single falls gently → say porori.
When many small things fall or flow → say poro poro.
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