そろそろ sorosoro The time is nearly here and the body starts shifting: そろそろ The appointed moment has come right up close, and the body is already starting to tilt that way before anything happens. Japanese 5 uses
흔들흔들 heun-deul-heun-deul A loose tooth and a wobbly chair get the same word One end held in place while the rest swings side to side, never settling. Korean 5 uses
だんだん dandan Moving one step at a time: だんだん Like climbing a staircase one step at a time, a state shifting by one notch, then another. Japanese 5 uses
두근두근 du-geun-du-geun 두근두근 carries fear and excitement in one word The inside of the chest beating faster and harder, loud enough that you hear it yourself. Korean 5 uses
데굴데굴 de-gul-de-gul 데굴데굴 is something only round things can do Something round touching the floor and turning over and over as it travels. Korean 5 uses
ぴったり pittari Overlapping with not one gap: ぴったり Two things laid against each other and overlapping exactly, with nothing misaligned and no gap showing. Japanese
ぐるぐる guruguru Round and round the same spot: ぐるぐる Going round the same path again and again about a single centre, never moving forward. Japanese 5 uses
주르륵 ju-reu-reuk Things that slide down in a single stream A single stream sliding from top to bottom without breaking. Korean 5 uses
바글바글 ba-geul-ba-geul A boiling pot and a packed shop get the same word Small things rising and knocking into each other without pause inside a tight space. Korean 5 uses
ふわふわ fuwafuwa Weight drains out and it floats up: ふわふわ Air filling the inside so the weight drains away, leaving the thing swollen and floating up instead of sitting down. Japanese 5 uses