ぼかん

Japanese

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeia.

Alternative forms

• ボカン

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bokaɴ/, [bo̞kã̠ɴ]

Interjection

ぼかん (katakana ボカン, romaji bokan)

1. kapow, bam, biff, bonk

Usage notes

Often written in katakana. Similar to ぽかん (pokan), but the softer initial b sound indicates a duller striking sound. Compare English onomatopoeiae bonk / ponk, bong / pong, bing / ping

Etymology 2

Kanji reading.

Noun

ぼかん (romaji bokan)

1. 母艦: a mother ship (specifically a water craft); short for 航空母艦 (kōkū bokan, “aircraft carrier”)