もぐもぐ
Meaning: The sound and action of munching or chewing food, often used to describe someone eating happily or cutely.
もぐもぐ is a mimetic word (擬態語) representing the motion of chewing with a closed mouth. It carries a soft, endearing quality and is frequently used when describing children or pets eating, or when someone is contentedly munching on food. On social media, もぐもぐタイム (mogu mogu time) became a viral phrase after Japanese curling athletes used it during snack breaks at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Examples
- おにぎりをもぐもぐ食べてる姿が可愛すぎる。 嚼嚼地吃饭团的样子也太可爱了。Verle comer el onigiri ñam ñam es demasiado adorable.주먹밥을 냠냠 먹는 모습이 너무 귀여워.
- もぐもぐタイムにしよう、お菓子買ってきたよ。 嚼嚼时间到,我买零食回来了哦。Vamos a hacer una pausa para picar, he traído chuches.냠냠타임으로 하자, 과자 사왔어.
- 子どもがもぐもぐしながらテレビ見てる。 小朋友一边嚼嚼一边看电视。El niño está comiendo ñam ñam mientras ve la tele.아이가 냠냠 먹으면서 TV 보고 있어.
Pronunciation
/mo.gɯ.mo.gɯ/
Usage Guide
Context: daily life, social media, describing eating
Tone: cute, endearing
✓ Do Say
- もぐもぐタイムだ〜! (It's snack time!)嚼嚼时间到啦~!(零食时间到了!)¡Es la hora de picar!냠냠타임이다~! (간식 시간이야!)
- ハムスターがもぐもぐしてて癒される (Watching the hamster munch away is so soothing)仓鼠嚼嚼的样子好治愈(看仓鼠嚼嚼地吃东西好治愈)Ver al hámster comer ñam ñam es muy relajante햄스터가 냠냠하고 있어서 힐링돼 (햄스터가 오물오물 먹는 게 너무 귀여워서 힐링된다)
✗ Don't Say
- ビジネスディナーで「もぐもぐ」は子供っぽい (Saying 'mogu mogu' at a business dinner sounds childish)在商务晚宴上说'もぐもぐ'会显得很幼稚(在商务宴会上说'嚼嚼'听起来很孩子气)Decir 'mogu mogu' en una cena de negocios suena infantil비즈니스 만찬에서 '모구모구'는 유치하게 들려 (비즈니스 디너 자리에서 '모구모구'라고 하면 어린애 같다)
Common Mistakes
- Using もぐもぐ to describe loud, open-mouth chewing — it implies quiet, cute munching
- Confusing with ムシャムシャ which is more vigorous eating
Origin & History
A traditional Japanese onomatopoeia mimicking the chewing motion. Gained renewed viral popularity when the Japanese women's curling team's snack breaks at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics were dubbed もぐもぐタイム by media.
Cultural Context
Era: Traditional onomatopoeia, viral resurgence 2018
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Especially common in kawaii culture and when talking about food on social media.
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