Why Japanese Animal Sounds Are Different from English

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 7 of Nihongo to English (No Show), Michelle and Michael dig into one of the most surprisingly fun language differences: animal sounds in Japanese vs. English.Why does a dog say wan wan instead of woof woof? Why do cats go nyan nyan? And what happens when you translate sounds instead of meanings? This episode uses onomatopoeia as a gateway into how Japanese actually thinks about sound, rhythm, and expression—and why literal translation often misses the point.From pets and farm animals to everyday sound words, we explore how these expressions show up in conversation, children’s books, manga, and daily speech. Along the way, we talk about why Japanese learners remember sound words so easily, how these phrases build intuition, and what they reveal about culture, cuteness, and communication.It’s a playful episode with real learning underneath—perfect for beginners, culture lovers, and anyone who’s ever wondered why languages don’t “hear” the world the same way.Highlights🐶 Japanese animal sounds vs. English explained🐱 Why onomatopoeia is everywhere in Japanese💬 How sound words show up in real conversation📚 Language, culture, and how kids (and adults) learn😂 Why translating sounds is harder than it looksKeywordsLearn Japanese, Japanese animal sounds, onomatopoeia in Japanese, Japanese vs English, Japanese culture, bilingual podcast, language learning through culture, Japanese conversationEmail: [email protected] Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZakiSupport the show🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.