{"id":5907,"date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=5907"},"modified":"2026-03-29T13:49:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T04:49:59","slug":"what-is-buku-buku-the-japanese-sound-of-bubbling-or-swelling-up-in-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=5907","title":{"rendered":"What Is \u201cBuku Buku\u201d? The Japanese Sound of Bubbling or Swelling Up (\u2026in Size!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ever watched bubbles rise quickly in boiling water?<br>Or seen someone gain weight a little too fast, in a not-so-positive way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s when the Japanese onomatopoeia <strong>\u201cBuku Buku\u201d (\u3076\u304f\u3076\u304f)<\/strong> comes in \u2014<br>a sound that\u2019s <strong>soft, repetitive, and a little heavy<\/strong>, used for both bubbly surfaces <em>and<\/em> swelling bodies.<\/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\/2026\/01\/001_\u305a\u3093\u3060\u3082\u3093\uff08\u30ce\u30fc\u30de\u30eb\uff09_\u3076\u304f\u3076\u304f.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is \u201cBuku Buku\u201d (\u3076\u304f\u3076\u304f)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBuku Buku\u201d is a Japanese sound word used in two main ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>For bubbles<\/strong>: rising, foamy, swelling bubbles in liquid (like boiling soup or washing detergent)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For body weight<\/strong>: gaining weight in a slightly bloated, unhealthy, or exaggerated way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=4250\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4250\">puku puku<\/a>\u201d or \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?p=1151\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1151\">poka poka,<\/a>\u201d which have cute or warm nuances,<br><strong>\u201cbuku buku\u201d often feels a little excessive<\/strong> \u2014 too much foam, too much weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be humorous, but also carries a lightly critical or silly tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_extra.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_extra.png 320w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_extra-200x300.png 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pronunciation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>boo-koo boo-koo<\/strong><br>(Say it in a soft, round rhythm \u2014 like bubbles softly bursting upward.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Condition \/ Sound<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does \u201cBuku Buku\u201d Look Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A pot bubbling over with too much water<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bubbles in a warm bath<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A balloon-like belly expanding slowly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A person who\u2019s been eating too many sweets (in a comic way)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"265\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_t.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5909\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Say It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Say it slowly, puffing your cheeks a bit:<br><strong>Buku buku\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like bubbles rising up in warm water,<br>or someone slowly getting rounder and rounder:<br><strong>Buku buku\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/001_\u305a\u3093\u3060\u3082\u3093\uff08\u30ce\u30fc\u30de\u30eb\uff09_\u3076\u304f\u3076\u304f.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jump-section\">Example in Daily Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Too many snacks!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019s been eating cookies every night\u2026<br>and now he\u2019s getting <strong>buku buku\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\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\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_1_.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_1_.png 320w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_1_-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bukubuku_1_-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cultural Note<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll find \u201cbuku buku\u201d in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Manga (comedic fattening scenes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cooking descriptions (ramen bubbling!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children&#8217;s picture books<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s casual, expressive, and <strong>slightly negative<\/strong>, but also fun and easy to say<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch &amp; Feel the \u201cBuku Buku\u201d World!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feel the \u201cBuku Buku\u201d  \u2014 Scuba Diving<\/h3>\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=YcdVRP0Y5H8\"\n     target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n     aria-label=\"Watch this video on YouTube\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/YcdVRP0Y5H8\/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=YcdVRP0Y5H8\"\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 boil something\u2026<br>When you draw a bubble bath\u2026<br>When your pants feel tighter than last week\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say it with a puffed-up smile:<br><strong>Buku buku\u301c<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"4919\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-fullWide pc-py-60 sp-py-40 alignfull\" style=\"background-color:#f7f7f7\"><div class=\"swell-block-fullWide__inner l-article\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-capbox cap_box is-style-intext\"><div class=\"cap_box_ttl\"><span>More Sound-based Onomatopoeia:<\/span><\/div><div class=\"cap_box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/?cat=35\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mint_background-x300_sound_enter___.png\"\n       alt=\"illustration for sound-based category\"\n       class=\"puni-top-image\"\n       style=\"border-radius: 15px;\">\n<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\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\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever watched bubbles rise quickly in boiling water?Or seen someone gain weight a little too fast, in a not-so-positive way? That\u2019s when the Japanese onomatopoeia \u201cBuku Buku\u201d (\u3076\u304f\u3076\u304f) comes in \u2014a sound that\u2019s soft, repetitive, and a little heavy, used for both bubbly surfaces and swelling bodies. Before we dive in, hear what it sounds [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-_condition-based","category-_sound-based"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5907","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=5907"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7613,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5907\/revisions\/7613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/punipunidictionary.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}