What’s the Difference Between “Pero Pero” and “Bero Bero” in Japanese?

Have you ever seen a cat gently licking its paw?

Or watched someone so drunk they can barely stand?

In Japanese, these two scenes use surprisingly similar sounds:

Pero Pero (ぺろぺろ)

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Pero Pero”? The Japanese Sound of Gentle Licking Have you ever watched a cat carefully licking its paw? Or seen someone taste a bit of ice cream from a spoon? That small, repeated licking motion in Japanese…

Bero Bero (べろべろ)

They both involve the tongue, but the feeling and nuance are quite different.

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Bero Bero”? The Japanese Sound of Being Drunk… or Licking Away Have you ever seen someone so drunk they can barely stand? Or watched a dog happily licking your hand? In Japanese, both of these very different scenes can b…

Differences Between “Pero Pero” and “Bero Bero”

In short:

• Pero pero → small, neat licking
• Bero bero → sloppy licking or drunken behavior

Examples in Daily Life

Example 1: A cat grooming itself (Pero Pero)

The cat sat quietly on the floor,
cleaning its paw —

pero pero…

Example 2: A cat grooming itself (Bero Bero)

The cat licked its paw with bity, sloppy strokes,
its tougue moving boldly —

bero bero!

Try Using Them!

A cat licking its paw or someone tasting ice cream?
→ Say pero pero

Someone extremely drunk or licking messily?
→ Say bero bero

Two similar sounds —
but very different scenes!

Explore More: Comparison Series