ぴかぴか

/fikafika/ → /pikapika/

First attested as ひかひか (fikafika) in the 1595 Dictionarivm Latino Lvsitanicvm, ac Iaponicvm (“Dictionary from Latin into Portuguese, and Japanese”).^[1]

Reduplication of the ひか (hika-) root of Old Japanese-derived verb 光る (hikaru, “to shine, to gleam”), which root is from Proto-Japonic *pika. See also *pikaru.

As part of the Late Middle Japanese reintroduction of /p/ as a phoneme, particularly among mimetic words and in some Sino-Japanese compounds, this word regained its original /p/ sound that had by then shifted to /ɸ/.

• (Tokyo) ぴかぴか [pìkáꜜpìkà] (Nakadaka – [2])^[2]
• (Tokyo) ぴかぴか [píꜜkàpìkà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [pʲika̠pʲika̠]

ぴかぴか or ピカピカ • (pikapika) 

1. (onomatopoeia) glitteringly, sparklingly

Generally used without a particle:

• ぴかぴか光(ひか)る宝(ほう)石(せき) ― pikapika hikaru hōseki ― a sparklingly shining jewel

Sometimes encountered with the adverbial particle と (to):

• ぴかぴかと光(ひか)る宝(ほう)石(せき) ― pikapika to hikaru hōseki ― a sparklingly shining jewel

• ぴっかぴか (pikkapika)
• ピカチュウ (Pikachū, “Pikachu”)
• ぴかつく (pikatsuku)

• →⇒ Korean: 삐까삐까 (ppikkappikka, “equally matched, nip and tuck”)

• ひかひか (hikahika)
• びかびか (bikabika)

• (Tokyo) ぴかぴか [pìkápíká] (Heiban – [0])^[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [pʲika̠pʲika̠]

ぴかぴか or ピカピカ • (pikapika) -na (adnominal ぴかぴかな (pikapika na), adverbial ぴかぴかに (pikapika ni))

1. shiny, glossy

   ぴかぴかなグラス ― pikapika na gurasu ― a shiny drinking glass

   ピカピカの一(いち)年(ねん)生(せい) ― pikapika no ichinensei ― a shiny, fresh first-year student

   • 2025 February 14, 高垣廣徳 [Hironori Takagaki], quotee, “第217回国会　衆議院　予算委員会　第10号　令和7年2月14日 [217th Diet, House of Representatives, Budget Committee, No. 10, February 14, 2025]”, in 国会会議録検索システム [Diet Proceedings Search System]‎^[1], 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library], retrieved 17 August 2025:

     高速道路などの舗装が劣化して、それがまさに、戦後すぐのぴかぴかの道路から穴ぼこの道路に変わった。

     Kōsoku dōro nado no hosō ga rekka shite, sore ga masani, sengo sugu no pikapika no dōro kara anaboko no dōro ni kawatta.

     The pavement of highways and other roads has deteriorated, turning the shiny roads of the post-war era into roads full of potholes.

   • 2025 February 19, 井上義行 [Yoshiyuki Inoue], quotee, “第217回国会　参議院　資源エネルギー・持続可能社会に関する調査会　第3号　令和7年2月19日 [217th Diet, House of Councilors, Research Committee on Resources, Energy and Sustainable Society, No. 3, February 19, 2025]”, in 国会会議録検索システム [Diet Proceedings Search System]‎^[2], 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library], retrieved 17 August 2025:

     そうすることによって、例えば田舎に行って、まあ私も田舎に住んでいますけど、田んぼのど真ん中にいきなり太陽光のパネルがぱっと付いたり、山がぴかぴかぴかぴか光ったり、あるいは河原で物すごいいい景観なのに太陽光のパネルがばんばん付いていると。

     Sō suru koto ni yotte, tatoeba inaka ni itte, mā watashi mo inaka ni sunde imasu kedo, tanbo no domannaka ni ikinari taiyōkō no paneru ga patto tsuitari, yama ga pikapika pikapika hikattari, arui wa kawara de monosugoi ii keshiki na no ni taiyōkō no paneru ga banban tsuite iru to.

     By doing this, for example, if you go to the countryside, and I live in the countryside myself, you might see solar panels suddenly appear in the middle of a rice field, or the mountains sparkle brightly, or maybe there's a riverbank with a beautiful view, but it's covered with solar panels.

   • 2025 March 13, 平木大作 [Daisaku Hiraki], quotee, “第217回国会　参議院　文教科学委員会　第2号　令和7年3月13日 [217th Diet House of Councilors Committee on Education and Science No. 2 March 13, 2025]”, in 国会会議録検索システム [Diet Proceedings Search System]‎^[3], 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library], retrieved 17 August 2025:

     じゃあということで、別にぴかぴかのところに入れたわけじゃないんだけれど、私立の小学校入れて、一年の学費が三万ドルだそうです。

     Jā to iu koto de, betsu ni pikapika no tokoro ni haireta wake janain da keredo, shiritsu no shōgakkō hairete, ichi nen no gakuhi ga san man doru da sō desu.

     So, although he didn't get into a particularly prestigious school, he did go to a private elementary school, and the tuition was apparently $30,000 a year.