叽里咕噜 (jī lǐ gū lū) — (onomatopoeia) mumbling; murmuring; gurgling (of stomach)

Definition

Onomatopoeia for unclear, mumbling speech and stomach/gurgling sounds. The reduplication mimics the noise itself — "jīligūlū de" describes how something sounds.

onomatopoeia
mumblingmurmuringgurgling (of stomach)

Examples

  • 叽里咕噜，。
    Tā shuō huà jī lǐ gū lū de, wǒ yí jù yě méi tīng qīng chǔ.
    He was mumbling when he spoke, and I didn't hear a single word clearly.
  • 叽里咕噜。
    Dù zi è dé jī lǐ gū lū zhí jiào.
    My stomach was so hungry it kept rumbling.
  • 叽里咕噜。
    Gé bì chuán lái jī lǐ gū lū de shuō huà shēng.
    From next door came the sound of murmuring voices.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 叽 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ咕gū
Same sound today

咕 combines 口 (mouth) with 古, which provides the sound. The 口 part points to mouth sounds, such as clucking or cooing.

Open 咕 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 嚕; 噜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
魯
魯lǔ嚕
Same sound today

The traditional form 嚕 has 口, a mouth, beside 魯, which gives the sound; the simplified 噜 is a later shorthand.

Open 噜 →

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