ひらひら

ひ

ら

ひ

ら

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes light, thin objects moving gently in the air, such as flags, leaves, or paper. Often used with と or as a する-verb.

桜さくらの花はなびらがひらひらと舞まい落おちる。

Cherry blossom petals flutter down.

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

onomatopoeic or mimetic wordarchaic

Archaic use for light or flame flickering unsteadily. Rare in modern Japanese; ちらちら is more common.

古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、ろうそくの火ひがひらひらと揺ゆれる様よう子すを表あらわすことがある。
In old texts, it can describe a candle flame flickering.

noun

frill; thin decorative piece

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Refers to a frill or a thin, fluttering piece of material, such as on clothing. Derived from the adverbial sense.

ちらちら
ちらちら is the standard mimetic word for flickering light or intermittent visibility, while ひらひら in this sense is archaic.
ふわふわ
ふわふわ describes soft, fluffy, or light floating movement, whereas ひらひら emphasizes thin, flat objects flapping or fluttering.

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it likely imitates the light, repeated motion of thin objects.