We explore the top five fastest words, what exactly is so speedy about them, and what kind of images they conjure up for Japanese people.
1) ビュン (BYUN!)
With a staggering 42.3 percent of the vote, it’s the sound of something that’s gone before you know it! “BYUN!” is the noise of a fast-moving object that’s hard to spot. Here’s what those surveyed had to say about it:
“BYUN!” is fast and powerful, like the sound of strong winds blowing.
It makes me think of something that moves in the blink of an eye!
▼ “BYUN-BYUN” is also the Japanese name given to this (presumably high-speed!) vegetable slicer.
2) シュッ (SHU-!)
Next up in second place, it’s “SHU-!” (pronounced a bit like a shortened “shoe”). This represents the sound of something zipping through the air! For those surveyed, once again there was only one comparison worth making:
“It’s the sound of the Shinkansen (bullet train)!”
3) ゴー (GO~!)
“GO~!” is a very appropriate word for high-speed action! (Imagine you’re shouting “GOAL!”, but stop mid-word).
“It makes me think of a roaring jet plane engine, or a passing Shinkansen.”
“It’s like an accelerating engine.”
4) キーン (KIIN!)
The Japanese language even has a word for the sound of something supersonic! Pronounced as in the first half of “keen bean”.
“‘KIIN!’ is like when a supersonic fighter jet is approaching!”
“It reminds me of Arale-chan (1980s anime character). When I was a kid I used to run around yelling KIIN! and pretending to be Arale-chan.”
5) フッ (FU-!)
This might look like something you’d say in English when you trap your finger in the car door, but “FU…!” is the sound of something suddenly disappearing – a little like the “pff” of a puff of smoke.
“I love ninjas, so I always want them to make this noise when they move around.”
So there you have it! The fastest-moving words in the Japanese language are the sound of bullet trains, anime characters, and a noise made by ninjas. Who’d have thought?!
Now, if you’ll excuse me. <fu-!>
Source: Netallica
Images: Wikimedia Commons (1, 2), Rakuten