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ゼーゼー言う (ゼーゼーいう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
ゼーゼー 言い う also: ぜいぜいいう · ゼイゼイいう · ゼエゼエいう · ぜーぜーいう · ぜえぜえいう
Conjugation
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-u)
wheeze ; breathe with difficulty ; gasp
Describes labored, noisy breathing, often due to illness, exhaustion, or respiratory problems. The onomatopoeic part ゼーゼー mimics the sound of wheezing.
の
ん
だ
。
After running, I drank water while gasping for breath.
Written forms ゼーゼー 言い う
Standard katakana spelling for the onomatopoeic part, with the verb in kanji.
ぜいぜい 言い う
Hiragana variant; less common but still used.
ぜいぜいいう
Full hiragana spelling; common in children's books or informal contexts.
Similar words 喘あえ ぐ 喘ぐ is a more general verb for gasping or struggling for breath, while ゼーゼー言う specifically emphasizes the audible wheezing sound.
息いき 切ぎ れ 息切れ is a noun meaning shortness of breath, often used in medical or fitness contexts, whereas ゼーゼー言う is a colloquial expression describing the sound.
Etymology The phrase combines the onomatopoeia ゼーゼー, imitating the sound of wheezing, with the verb 言う (to say), literally 'to say zee-zee'. This construction is common for describing sounds made by the body.
