ばたばた

See also: はたはた and ぱたぱた

Japanese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ba̠ta̠ba̠ta̠]

Adverb

ばたばた or バタバタ • (batabata) 

1. noisily, clattering, with a repetitive noise

   公(こう)園(えん)に子(こ)供(ども)たちがばたばた駆(か)けた。

   Kōen ni kodomotachi ga batabata kaketa.

   In the park children ran noisily.

2. repetitively, repeatedly, in succession

   家(か)畜(ちく)がばたばたと死(し)んでいった。

   Kachiku ga batabata to shindeitta.

   The livestock continued dying off one after another.

3. in a bustling manner, hurriedly, quickly

   旗(はた)がばたばたはためいている。

   Hata ga batabata hatameiteiru.

   The flag is briskly fluttering.

Noun

ばたばた or バタバタ • (batabata) 

1. a rattling, flapping, a flapping sound, thrashing
2. (kabuki) a sound effect made with wooden clappers
   • 2011, “Dai-ni kai: mie to tsuke [Part 2: posture and sound effects]”, in Mimi kara‎^[1], retrieved 2022-05-31:

     花(はな)道(みち)を駆(か)け抜(ぬ)ける足(あし)音(おと)にばたばたばたという音(おと)を添(そ)えたり、「大(だい)事(じ)な密(みつ)書(しょ)をうっかり落(お)とす」といった場(ば)面(めん)には、小(ちい)さく「ぱたっ」と鳴(な)らし、お客(きゃく)様(さま)に「ここをお見(み)逃(のが)し無(な)く」と知(し)らせもします。

     Hanamichi o kake nukeru ashioto ni batabata-bata to iu oto o soetari, “daiji na mitsusho o ukkari otosu” to itta bamen ni wa, chīsaku “pata'” to narashi, okyakusama ni “koko o ominogashi naku” to shirase mo shimasu.

     You add a so-called batabata sound of footsteps when someone is running onto the stage, or when a character lets slip an important clue you add a little “pata” sound in order to tell the audience, “Don’t overlook this bit.”

3. a three-wheel vehicle; a motorcycle
   • 2011 December 1, anonymous author, “Keirin Rikō no hotori ni aru ‘koishijō’ [An ‘old stone castle’ in the forest near the Li River]”, in Fureiai Chugoku‎^[2], comment:

     帰(かえ)りには地(じ)鶏(どり)と新(しん)鮮(せん)な野(や)菜(さい)を学(がく)生(せい)にお土産(みやげ)としてばたばたオート三(さん)輪(りん)車(しゃ)に満(まん)載(さい)しましょう。

     Kaeri ni wa jidori to shinsen na yasai o gakusei ni omiyage to shite batabata ōto sanrinsha ni mansai shimashō.

     On the way back, be sure to load up your batabata three-wheeler with locally grown chicken and fresh vegetables as souvenirs for your students.

   • 2016 August 24, “Seto naikai chihō ni okeru, aru nōka no sengo no jidōsha rireki [Record of motor vehicles used by some farmers after the war in the Seto Sea region]”, in Tenpa rogingu‎^[3], archived from the original on 6 July 2022:

     マツダ　K360　通(つう)称(しょう)、ばたばた。エンジン音(おと)からのその名(めい)称(しょう)かと思(おも)われます。

     Matsuda K360 Tsūshō, batabata. Enjin oto kara no sono meishō ka to omowaremasu.

     Mazda K360. Nickname, batabata. This name is thought to come from the sound of the engine.

Verb

ばたばたする or バタバタする • (batabata suru) transitive or intransitive suru (stem ばたばたし (batabatasuru shi), past ばたばたした (batabatasuru shita))

1. to flap, rattle, thrash, flounder

   水(すい)中(ちゅう)でばたばたする。

   Suichū de batabata suru.

   One flounders in the water.

   年(ねん)末(まつ)に畳(たたみ)をばたばたする。

   Nenmatsu ni tatami o batabata suru.

   We thrash the tatami floors [to remove dust] at the end of the year.