むにゃむにゃ

also: もにゃもにゃ

む

にゃ

む

にゃ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

mumbling; muttering; incomprehensibly

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Mimetic word describing the sound or manner of speaking unclearly, often in one's sleep or when talking to oneself. Frequently used with 言う or 呟く.

寝ね言ごとでむにゃむにゃ言いっている。
He's mumbling something in his sleep.
彼かれはむにゃむにゃと何なにか呟つぶやいた。
He muttered something incomprehensibly.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Related words

ぶつぶつ
ぶつぶつ implies grumbling or complaining in a low voice, often with discontent, while むにゃむにゃ focuses on the unclear, muffled quality of speech, often without negative emotion.
もごもご
もごもご also describes mumbling, but often with the nuance of speaking with one's mouth full or moving the mouth indistinctly, whereas むにゃむにゃ emphasizes the sound itself.

Written forms

むにゃむにゃUsage67%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic word.
ムニャムニャUsage33%
Katakana variant often used in manga or for emphasis.
もにゃもにゃ
Variant pronunciation and spelling; less common.
モニャモニャ
Katakana variant of the less common もにゃもにゃ reading.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic word imitating the sound of indistinct, sleepy, or muffled speech. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a typical reduplicative mimetic formation.