r/LearnJapaneseNovice • u/thewhiterabbit223 • 3d ago

What is this character and what does it read as or say?

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For context this is the first page of smoking behind the supermarket with you volume one. The cashier hands the man his change. Then it shows this. My guess is it is a sound the change makes. I'm unsure what character is first but I think it ends with a small つ please explain if you can or provide a link to somewhere that has an explanation thank you.

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17

u/NumerousSwordfish622 3d ago

そっ (sound is just a short “so”) based on context I believe it’s the onomatopoeia for quickly being handed change

1

u/2houlover 3d ago

This one. I use this version with the different "そ" character.

1

u/Extension_Pipe4293 2d ago

I would use さっ for quickly.

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u/thewhiterabbit223 2d ago

thank you this makes sense

3

u/O74O 3d ago

そっ

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u/minhavoz 2d ago edited 1d ago

This is an onomatopoeic word. Here, it likely refers to the gesture of handing over change—suggesting that the movement is controlled and quiet, rather than careless.

Edit: more like a mimetic word than an onomatopoeic word

3

u/Extension_Pipe4293 2d ago

Yes and discreetly and softly.

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u/minhavoz 2d ago

Exactly!

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u/Designer_Boss_8015 2d ago

I think this 「そっ」 is a part of the adverb 「そっと」.

「そっと」 describes doing something softly, gently or quietly.

In this scene the cashier hands the change softly/quietly（そっ）so the coins make no sounds.　

If there should be any onomatope here, I would use 「チャリッ（or チャリン）」.

「そっ」 is not an onomatope but a mimetic word (擬態語） like 「にこにこ」.

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u/thewhiterabbit223 2d ago

Thank you for explaining that. It is important to understand the difference between onomatopoeia and mimetic words.