パンパン

Historical term for street prostitutes who served Occupation soldiers in post-WWII Japan. Often used in the compound パンパンガール. Restricted to the katakana reading パンパン.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉をパンパン(と)叩たたくto slap/pat something with a sharp, repeated bang
彼かれは太たい鼓こをパンパンと叩たたいた。
He beat the drum with sharp, repeated bangs.
〈物もの〉がパンパンに張はるfor something to be stretched tight and full to bursting
スーツケースが荷に物もつでパンパンに張はっている。
The suitcase is stuffed so full it's bulging.
お腹なかがパンパンになるfor one's stomach to become full to bursting
食たべ過すぎてお腹なかがパンパンになった。
I ate too much and my stomach got stuffed full.

Related words

ぎっしりN3sense 2
パンパン describes something stretched so full it looks ready to burst, while ぎっしり just means tightly packed without implying bulging or bursting.
パンパンガール sense 3
パンパン alone can historically refer to a post-WWII prostitute, while パンパンガール is the fuller, more explicit compound for the same figure.

Opposites

ガラガラN3sense 2
パンパン describes something bulging and full to bursting, whereas がらがら describes something empty, loose, or rattling.

Don't confuse with

バンバン sense 1
パンパン describes a sharp slap, clap, or bang, while バンバン (nearly the same sound with voiced consonants) suggests louder, repeated bangs like gunfire.
ぽんぽんN1
ぽんぽん imitates a light, soft popping or tapping sound, while ぱんぱん imitates a much louder, sharper bang or slap.

Word family

パンパンガール
pan-pan girl; prostitute (post-WWII)

Written forms

パンパンUsage83%
Katakana spelling is standard for this onomatopoeic word.
ぱんぱんUsage17%
Hiragana variant, also common.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic origin for the sound and bulging senses. The historical prostitute sense is said to derive from the sound of clapping hands used to attract soldiers, but the exact derivation is uncertain.