The Sound of Licking

ぺろぺろ (peropero) is the onomatopoeia for licking something repeatedly — an ice cream cone, a lollipop, the back of a stamp, or your fingers after a sticky snack. It also describes the way cats and dogs lick: a pet grooming its fur or affectionately licking your face.

ぺろぺろ belongs to the giyougo (擬容語) category, which describes the manner of an action rather than an actual sound. The tongue doesn’t really go “pero pero,” but the rhythmic, repeated motion of licking is captured perfectly by the doubled sound.

When to Use ぺろぺろ

Use ぺろぺろ for any slow, repeated licking. The most common pattern is 「ぺろぺろなめる」 (to lick), and you can add する to describe an animal doing it: 「犬がぺろぺろする」 means “the dog is licking.” A single, quick lick is ぺろっ (perotto) instead — the doubled ぺろぺろ implies the licking keeps going.

Fun Fact

In Japan, the classic swirl-shaped lollipop is literally called a ぺろぺろキャンディー (peropero candy) — named after the sound of licking it. The word is so tied to the gesture that sticking your tongue out playfully and going あっかんべー often pairs with a ぺろっ for comic effect.