ほかほか

also: ほこほこ

ほ

か

ほ

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Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

ほかほかする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

comfortably warm; steaming hot; piping hot; glowing with warmth

Mimetic word describing pleasant warmth, often of food, drinks, or a cozy atmosphere. Can also describe a person's warm, glowing feeling.

ぽかぽかN2
ぽかぽか usually describes ambient warmth like sunshine or a warm room, while ほかほか typically describes the fresh, steaming warmth of food such as rice.

ほやほやN2
ほかほか describes a gentle, comforting warmth (like a warm bath or blanket), while ほやほや specifically implies freshness in addition to heat.

ほかほかUsage43%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic word.
ホカホカUsage48%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
ほこほこUsage9%
Rare variant reading; may be encountered in older or dialectal contexts.
ホコホコUsage1%
Katakana form of the rare variant ほこほこ.

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it likely imitates the sensation or sound of steam rising or warmth spreading.