Is there an オノマトペ for when you're absolutely clueless or expected to do
something, but cannot?
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2019-08-15T03:27:10.323
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2020-09-05T03:02:10.880
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question
onomatopoeia
onomatopoeia for cluelessness
Two words popped up in my head as soon as I read the title.

>   1. 「さっぱり」
>

「さっぱりわからん。」 = "It's all Greek to me."

「何{なに}がなんだかさっぱり・・・」 = "No idea what the heck is going on here!"

>   2. 「チンプンカンプン」
>

This is a word many native speakers use actively, but I personally have never
seen/heard a Japanese-learner use it.

It basically means "(Someone) has absolutely no idea.", "It's all Greek to
(someone).", etc.

Some people might argue that 「チンプンカンプン」 is not an onomatopoeia as it seems to
have Chinese roots.

For a layman like myself, however, I do feel that it is used like an
onomatopoeia and it sounds like one as well.
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2019-08-15T04:25:14.603
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2019-08-15T04:25:14.603
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answer
> ポカーン

seems like the closest to me. It is often associated with a blank stare.

jisho.org has `vacantly; blankly; absentmindedly (​Onomatopoeic or mimetic
word)` as the definition of the root
[ぽかん](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%BD%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93).

Example images: [ポカーン1](http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/seiga/im1077704) and
[ポカーン2](https://www.ac-
illust.com/main/detail.php?id=870244&word=%E5%88%86%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%E3%81%97%E3%82%8D%E3%81%8F%E3%81%BE)
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2019-08-15T04:58:18.113
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2019-08-15T04:58:18.113
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answer
If you have shocked feeling, something like trying to turn on the camera but
no batteries in there. You can say "ガーン” or "ガビーン"

> Σ(ﾟДﾟU)ガーン。で、電池が切れている。。。

In my opinion, オノマトペ is often accompanied with 顔文字{かおもじ}. The expression in
the other answer also is expressed like

> （´ρ｀）ぽか～ん

There might be some other suitable onomatopoeia for the future reference
:[`【顔文字】 感情 / 表情 － 脱力 / 溜め息`](http://www.facemark.jp/f-shokku.htm)
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2019-08-15T10:02:43.423
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2019-08-15T10:02:43.423
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answer