Definition
唧唧 is an onomatopoeia that imitates the continuous chirping sound of insects, especially crickets, or the soft murmur of whispering. In literary Chinese, it often evokes a quiet, restless atmosphere — think of a summer night filled with cricket sounds. It can also describe low, indistinct chatter between people. You'll typically see it used as an independent sound word or as an adverb before a verb (e.g. 唧唧地叫).
onomatopoeia
chirping of insectslow murmuring or whispering
Examples
- 唧唧。Yèwǎn de cǎocóng lǐ chuán lái yí zhèn jī jī de chóngmíng.From the grass at night came a burst of chirping insects.
- 唧唧。Tāmen liǎ zuò zài jiǎoluò lǐ jī jī de xiǎoshēng shuōhuà.The two of them sat in the corner whispering softly.
- ，唧唧。Qiūyè jìjìng, zhǐ tīng de jiàn chuāngwài jī jī de xīshuài shēng.The autumn night was still, and only the chirping of crickets outside the window could be heard.
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