{"id":1804,"date":"2025-09-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=1804"},"modified":"2026-03-29T18:46:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T09:46:32","slug":"what-is-dere-dere-the-japanese-sound-of-being-love-struck-dazed-or-melting-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=1804","title":{"rendered":"What Is \u201cDere Dere\u201d? The Japanese Sound of Being Love-Struck, Dazed, or Melting Away"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ever seen someone so smitten they can\u2019t stop smiling goofily?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or a person who\u2019s so relaxed (or in love) that they move slowly, their eyes half closed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s when the Japanese onomatopoeia \u201c<strong>Dere Dere<\/strong>\u201d (\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c) comes in \u2014 a sound and feel of being lovestruck, dazed, or letting your guard down completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we dive in, hear what it sounds like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/001_\u305a\u3093\u3060\u3082\u3093\uff08\u30ce\u30fc\u30de\u30eb\uff09_\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is \u201cDere Dere\u201d (\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cDere Dere\u201d<\/strong> is a Japanese onomatopoeia that describes someone acting overly sweet, love-struck, or absentminded from infatuation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Someone melting with affection, looking silly and grinning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Someone dazed, distracted, or not acting sharp.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s often playful, but sometimes carries a nuance of being too soft or unserious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pronunciation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>deh-reh deh-reh<br>(Say it loosely, letting your voice trail \u2014 like you\u2019re melting inside.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Condition \/ Visual<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does \u201cDere Dere\u201d Look Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It looks like hearts floating around someone\u2019s head.<br>Like a person staring dreamily, cheeks red.<br>Like someone leaning, sloppy with love or daze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"265\" height=\"82\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_t.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1806\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Say It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Say it with a relaxed tone, almost melting:<br><strong>Dere\u2026 dere\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like someone sighing with love or gazing dreamily:<br><strong>Dere dere\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/001_\u305a\u3093\u3060\u3082\u3093\uff08\u30ce\u30fc\u30de\u30eb\uff09_\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jump-section\">Examples in Daily Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example 1: Love-struck daydream<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He watched her smile,<br>his face turning red,<br>eyes soft and <strong>dere dere\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_ex1.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"235\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_1.png\" alt=\"dere dere, Japanese sound words, onomatopoeia\" class=\"wp-image-1807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_1.png 320w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_1-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>In Japanese, this would be:<br>\u304b\u308c\u306f\u3001\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c\u3060\u306d\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_ex1_jp.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example 2: Too relaxed after work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He lay on the sofa,<br>a goofy grin on his face,<br>his body completely <strong>dere dere\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dele_ex2.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_2.png\" alt=\"dere dere, Japanese sound words, onomatopoeia\" class=\"wp-image-1808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_2.png 320w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_2-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>In Japanese, this would be:<br>\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3088\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dere_ex2_jp.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cultural Note<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In English, you might say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cSmitten\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cHead over heels\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cDazed and goofy\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But in Japanese, \u201c<strong>dere dere<\/strong>\u201d doesn\u2019t just mean \u201cin love.\u201d<br>It carries the sense of someone acting almost silly or weak from affection, as if they\u2019re melting inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s often paired with \u201c<strong>tsun tsun<\/strong>\u201d (aloof and prickly), forming the well-known word <strong>\u201ctsundere.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch &amp; Feel the \u201cDere Dere\u201d World!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feel the \u201cdere dere\u201d \u2014 the melting sweetness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Experience the dazed, love-struck feeling that makes people lose composure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world becomes soft and blurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative; width:60%; margin:0 auto; text-align:center;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HeGPiYD1dfk\"\n     target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n     aria-label=\"Watch this video on YouTube\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/HeGPiYD1dfk\/hqdefault.jpg\"\n         alt=\"Watch on YouTube\"\n         style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:10px;\">\n    <div style=\"position:absolute; top:50%; left:50%; transform:translate(-50%,-50%);\n                font-size:32px; color:white; background:rgba(0,0,0,0.6);\n                padding:8px 12px; border-radius:50%;\">\n      \u25b6\n    <\/div>\n  <\/a>\n\n  <div style=\"margin-top:8px; font-weight:600;\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HeGPiYD1dfk\"\n       target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n       style=\"color:#78e2c8; text-decoration:none;\">\n      \u25b6 Watch on YouTube\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Try Using It!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you see someone acting dreamy with love\u2026<br>When you\u2019re too relaxed to keep your cool\u2026<br>When affection makes you feel silly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say it softly:<br>Dere dere\u301c<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"4939\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-capbox cap_box is-style-intext\"><div class=\"cap_box_ttl\"><span>More Visual-based Onomatopoeia:<\/span><\/div><div class=\"cap_box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?cat=40\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mint_background-x300_visual_enter_.png\"\n       alt=\"illustration for visual-based category\"\n       class=\"puni-top-image\"\n       style=\"border-radius: 15px;\">\n<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"4936\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-capbox cap_box is-style-intext\"><div class=\"cap_box_ttl\"><span>More Condition-based Onomatopoeia:<\/span><\/div><div class=\"cap_box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?cat=39\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mint_background-x300_condiion_enter.png\"\n       alt=\"illustration for condition-based category\"\n       class=\"puni-top-image\"\n       style=\"border-radius: 15px;\">\n<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-button is-style-btn_normal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\" class=\"swell-block-button__link\"><span>Home<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever seen someone so smitten they can\u2019t stop smiling goofily? Or a person who\u2019s so relaxed (or in love) that they move slowly, their eyes half closed? That\u2019s when the Japanese onomatopoeia \u201cDere Dere\u201d (\u3067\u308c\u3067\u308c) comes in \u2014 a sound and feel of being lovestruck, dazed, or letting your guard down completely. Before we dive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-_condition-based","category-_visual-based"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1804"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7728,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions\/7728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}