Understanding basic Japanese expressions

Let's look at some indispensable words and phrases
that crop up in conversations all the time.

擬態語 Gitaigo - Mimetic words

Gitaigo is the Japanese term for words that attempt to mimic actions, states or emotions, like the English examples "wriggle", "sparkling" or "thrilled". However the Japanese language employs far more of these action and emotion words than does English, so it is useful to know some common, conversational gitaigo:

Dokidoki - どきどき "Flutter", "pound" or "thump"	This word refers to the sound of a pounding heartbeat and is used to describe nervousness, excitement or exhilaration. The expression "dokidoki suru" is similar to saying "I have butterflies in my stomach".
Jirojiro -じろじろ "Stare", "gaze" or "study"	Usually followed by "miru" (to see or to watch), jirojiro describes the action of staring intently at something or someone. In English, it would equate to "looking something (or someone) over".
Nikoniko - にこにこ "Smile"	There are many Japanese words to describe a smile, but "nikoniko suru" is a useful phrase to know. This means "to smile" and describes a general state of being happy.
Wakuwaku - わくわく "Excite" or "thrill"	This is another commonly used word to describe feeling excited or thrilled, often in anticipation of an event or activity. Examples include "wakuwaku shite matsu" (to eagerly await) or "wakuwaku suru eiga" (an exciting film).
Perapera - ぺらぺら "Fluent" or "talkative"	This word is used to describe how people speak. For example, "kare wa nihongo to eigo ga perapera" meaning "he is fluent in Japanese and English" or "perapera shaberu" (to chatter).
Iraira - いらいら "Jittery" or "irritable"	When annoyed or impatient, the phrase "iraira suru" can describe how you feel. For example, "hito ga urusakute iraira suru" means "I am irritated because people are noisy".