Definition
劈啪 is an onomatopoeia that imitates sharp, crisp, and repetitive sounds — like crackling fire, slapping, clapping, or the clatter of hard objects striking each other. It is often reduplicated to add vividness and is used descriptively in both spoken and written Chinese. You typically see it in phrases like 劈啪作响 (making a cracking/crackling sound) or after the verb 发出 (to emit).
onomatopoeia
sound of cracklingslappingclappingsnappingor clattering
Examples
- 劈啪。Bìlú lǐ de mùtou shāo de pī pā zuò xiǎng.The wood in the fireplace was crackling.
- ，劈啪。Yǔshuǐ dǎ zài chuānghu shàng, fāchū pī pā de shēngyīn.The raindrops hit the window, making a pattering sound.
- ，劈啪。Tā pāi le liǎng xià shǒuzhǎng, pī pā liǎng shēng géwài qīngcuì.He clapped his hands twice, and the two sharp claps were especially crisp.
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