プー

〈物もの〉がプーと鳴なる(a horn/trumpet) toots
遠とおくでラッパがプーと鳴なった。
A trumpet tooted in the distance.
〈物もの〉をプーと鳴ならすto honk/toot something
運うん転てん手しゅがクラクションをプーと鳴ならした。
The driver honked the horn.
〈人ひと〉がプーと屁へをするto fart with a poofing sound
弟おとうとがプーと屁へをして笑わらわれた。
My little brother farted with a poof and everyone laughed.
〈物もの〉がプーと膨ふくらむ(something) puffs up/inflates
風ふう船せんがプーと膨ふくらんだ。
The balloon puffed up.

Don't confuse with

ブー
プー is a softer, higher-pitched toot or puff sound (trumpet, horn, fart, inflating), while ブー is a louder, buzzer-like sound (booing, a klaxon, or a heavier fart) often used to signal disapproval.

Counted with

回かいN4
Used for occurrences or instances of a sound event, rather than as a countable object.

Word family

プータロー
unemployed person; drifter; vagrant · day labourer; dockside day labourer

Written forms

プーUsage70%
Common katakana spelling for onomatopoeic use.
ぷうUsage14%
Hiragana variant without long vowel mark; less common but still used.
ぷーUsage11%
Hiragana variant, equally natural for onomatopoeia.
プーッUsage2%
Emphatic katakana form with small tsu, often used for a sudden or sharp sound.
ぷーっUsage2%
Emphatic hiragana form with small tsu.
ぷうっUsage1%
Hiragana emphatic form with small tsu and long vowel written as う.
プウUsage<1%
プーっ
Mixed katakana-hiragana emphatic form.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic word imitating a blowing or honking sound. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a mimetic formation common in Japanese sound symbolism.