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ぴかぴか

pika pika

shiny and sparkling clean — or brand new

Sound words
One sound. A whole feeling.With Fuji & Yuki
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Pika pika (ぴかぴか) means shiny, sparkling clean, or brand new.

You already know half of this word. The “pika” in Pikachu comes from ピカピカ, the sparkle of electricity; “chu” is the squeak of a mouse.

What it means

ぴかぴか is a bright shine: polished shoes, a car just washed, a kitchen after a big clean. Because new things shine, it also means brand new.

How to use it

For the state of something, add です: ぴかぴかです. In front of a noun, join it with の: ぴかぴかの くるま, “a shiny new car”.

Fuji

あたらしい くつですか。

Are those new shoes?

Yuki

はい! ぴかぴかです。

Yes! Nice and shiny.

Close cousins

きらきら is a gentle twinkle of many small lights, like stars or the sea. つるつる is shiny and smooth, so smooth it is slippery: a polished floor, an icy road. ぴかぴか is the bright, clean shine.

In manga and anime

ピカッ is a single flash: lightning, a camera, or a bright idea appearing above someone's head. And of course, ピカピカ is what a certain yellow mouse says.

Can you use it?

Yes, anywhere. Shops, cleaning products and car washes use it all the time. It is cheerful and easy.

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