どんどん

ど

ん

ど

ん

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

drumming; banging; pounding

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes loud, repetitive impact sounds such as drumming, knocking, stomping, or booming.

誰だれかがドアをどんどん叩たたいている。
Someone is banging on the door.
太たい鼓こをどんどんと打うち鳴ならした。
They beat the drum loudly.

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

rapidly; steadily; one after another

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Indicates that something progresses quickly, continuously, or in rapid succession without stopping.

仕し事ごとがどんどん片かた付づいていく。
The work is getting done steadily.
新あたらしい店みせがどんどんできている。
New shops are opening one after another.

See all 103 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

太たい鼓こをどんどん鳴ならすto beat a drum with loud, repeated booms
祭まつりの日ひ、遠とおくで太たい鼓こをどんどん鳴ならす音おとが聞きこえた。
On the day of the festival, I could hear a drum booming repeatedly in the distance.
〈動どう詞し〉て、どんどん〈動どう詞し〉to keep doing something rapidly and without stopping
遠えん慮りょしないで、どんどん食たべてください。
Don't hold back, please keep eating as much as you like.
ドアをどんどん叩たたくto pound repeatedly on a door
誰だれかがドアをどんどん叩たたいている。
Someone is pounding loudly on the door.
〈数かず〉がどんどん増ふえる／減へるfor a quantity to rapidly increase or decrease
新あたらしい店みせができて、客きゃくがどんどん増ふえている。
Since the new shop opened, customers have been increasing rapidly.
値ね段だんがどんどん上あがるfor prices to rise rapidly and continuously
最さい近きん、野や菜さいの値ね段だんがどんどん上あがっている。
Recently, vegetable prices have been rising rapidly.

Related words· 16

ガンガンN1sense 1
どんどん describes repeated pounding or banging sounds generally, while がんがん emphasizes a harsher, more jarring or throbbing repeated impact (like a headache or loud noise).
次つぎ々つぎN3sense 2
どんどん stresses speed and momentum in a process, while 次々 focuses on things happening one after another in sequence without necessarily being fast.
ぐんぐんN3sense 2
どんどん and ぐんぐん both describe rapid progress, but ぐんぐん is used especially for steady growth or improvement (like a child growing) rather than general repeated actions.
だんだんN5sense 2
だんだん means a change happens gradually and slowly, while どんどん implies the same kind of progression happens rapidly and vigorously.

Show 12 more

ごうごうN1
どんどん is a lighter, more rhythmic thumping or drumming sound, while 轟々 describes a deeper, continuous roar.
じゃんじゃんN1
どんどん means 'rapidly, one after another' like じゃんじゃん in its continuous-action sense, but it has no onomatopoeic bell-ringing meaning and sounds more neutral.
どしどしN1
どんどん describes steady or rapidly increasing progress, while どしどし adds a bolder, more energetic and encouraging nuance, often urging someone to act without hesitation.
バンバン
どんどん means doing something steadily and rapidly (like バンバン in its 'vigorously' sense), but it lacks バンバン's connotation of loud banging noise.
ずんずんN1
どんどん often implies a louder, more vigorous action or sound (like banging or drumming), while ずんずん suggests smoother, more relentless forward movement.
ぽんぽんN1
ぽんぽん pictures a light, rhythmic succession of events, whereas どんどん is the more general, common word for things happening one after another.
すくすくN2
すくすく specifically implies healthy, natural growth, while どんどん is a general adverb for anything progressing rapidly or steadily.
続ぞく々ぞくN2
どんどん is casual and stresses rapid, energetic progress or increase, while 続々 is neutral and used for things arriving in large numbers over time.
メキメキN1
どんどん is a general word for anything progressing rapidly and continuously, whereas メキメキ specifically describes visible improvement in ability or skill.
ますますN3
どんどん suggests rapid, energetic progression with momentum, whereas ますます is more neutral and describes a steady, continuing trend.
みるみるN1
どんどん describes steady, continuous progress or increase, whereas みるみる describes a dramatic change that is visibly happening right before one's eyes.
次つぎ々つぎにN1
どんどん is a casual, energetic word for things happening rapidly and repeatedly, while 次々に is neutral and can be used in more formal writing.

Opposites

のろのろN3sense 2
どんどん describes things moving or progressing quickly and steadily, while のろのろ describes sluggish, slow movement or progress.

Don't confuse with

どん sense 1
どん describes a single, one-time bang or thud, while どんどん describes the same sound repeated continuously.
とんとんN1
とんとん describes a light, soft tapping sound or smooth progress, while どんどん describes a loud, continuous banging sound or rapid, vigorous progress.
だんだんN5
だんだん and どんどん sound similar, but だんだん means 'gradually' while どんどん means 'rapidly' or 'one after another'.

Written forms

どんどんUsage96%
Standard hiragana spelling for this onomatopoeic adverb.
ドンドンUsage4%
Katakana spelling, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic word mimicking repeated drumming or pounding sounds; the exact origin is uncertain.