Similarities and Differences between Chinese and Japanese Onomatopoeic Words and their Implications for the Acquisition Process

Abstract

Onomatopoeic words refer to words that simulate natural sounds. Based on the Chinese and Japanese corpora, this paper makes an analysis and comparison from three aspects: syllable formation, morphology and semantics, and grammatical functions, trying to explore the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese onomatopoeic words, so as to provide enlightening suggestions and thoughts for learners in the process of acquiring Chinese and Japanese onomatopoeic words.