ぺこぺこ

ぺこぺこ

Japanese

Alternative spelling
ペコペコ

Etymology

Related to the verb 凹む (hekomu, “to become hollow or dented, to collapse inwardly, to sink in”).[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ぺ​こぺこ [péꜜkòpèkò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1] — specific to adverbial usage
• (Tokyo) ぺこぺこ [pèkópékó] (Heiban – [0])[1] — specific to adjectival usage
• IPA^(key): [pe̞ko̞pe̞ko̞]

Adverb

ぺこぺこ • (pekopeko) 

1. (onomatopoeia) expressing the sound of thin metal as it dents and collapses: "plinkingly, tinkingly"

   缶(かん)がぺこぺこと凹(へこ)んだ。

   Kan ga pekopeko to hekonda.

   The can dented in with a plink.

2. (childish) expressing the idea of one's stomach collapsing inwards: "extremely hungrily"

   熊(くま)がぺこぺことゴミ箱(ばこ)の中(なか)で探(さぐ)りまわった。

   Kuma ga pekopeko to gomibako no naka de sagurimawatta.

   The bear hungrily groped around in the trash can.

3. humbly (see へこへこ)

   ぺこぺこと頭(あたま)を下(さ)げる

   pekopeko to atama o sageru

   to lower one's head humbly

Related terms

• ぺこり (pekori)

Adjective

ぺこぺこ • (pekopeko) -na (adnominal ぺこぺこな (pekopeko na), adverbial ぺこぺこに (pekopeko ni))

1. extremely hungry

   ぺこぺこな時(とき)にどうする？

   Pekopeko na toki ni dō suru?

   What do you do when you're really hungry?

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN