# The spoken sound of gunshots in English and other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109 "2024-10-23T17:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/1 "2024-10-23T17:00:48Z")
In the US kids say, “Bang, bang”. I saw a French comic book once and I’m pretty sure they said, “Flan, flan”. Modern kids say,“Pew, pew” for laser sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/2 "2024-10-23T17:03:06Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I saw a French comic book once and I’m pretty sure they said, “Flan, flan” That would be “Pan ! Pan !”, I think. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/3 "2024-10-23T17:03:35Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I saw a French comic book once and I’m pretty sure they said, “Flan, flan” Nope. “Pan Pan” it is. Flan is that: [https://www.chefclub.tv/fr/recettes/daily/c58c4a74-4658-491a-9a35-b3d4996b570e/flan-pâtissier-sans-pâte-ou-comment-se-faire-plaisir-avec-un-dessert-simple-sain-et-avec-peu-dingrédients/](https://www.chefclub.tv/fr/recettes/daily/c58c4a74-4658-491a-9a35-b3d4996b570e/flan-p%C3%A2tissier-sans-p%C3%A2te-ou-comment-se-faire-plaisir-avec-un-dessert-simple-sain-et-avec-peu-dingr%C3%A9dients/) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/4 "2024-10-23T17:06:34Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Modern kids say,“Pew, pew” for laser sounds. That’s what firearms are called in YouTube videos to avoid getting demonized. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/5 "2024-10-23T21:27:30Z")
I don’t know Spanish very well but I seem to remember that they use _¡Pum!_ or _¡Zas!_ for the sound of a gunshot or an explosion. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/6 "2024-10-23T21:38:22Z")
In Chinese, it all seems to depend on the individual person, but I’ve heard a lot of _“pya pya pya”_ being used as the sound to imitate a gunshot. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/7 "2024-10-23T23:16:54Z")
It used to be “Púm” in spanish, but apparently it was obsolete in the late 60’s, replaced with “Bang” (a clear case of U.S. cultural imperialism!) [![](https://i.imgur.com/y2pnczG.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/y2pnczG.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/8 "2024-10-23T23:46:26Z")
What happened to rat-a-tat tat? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/9 "2024-10-24T00:12:44Z")
Not exactly an answer to the OP but I’ve read a couple of accounts that say kids who grew in war zones use a different, more realistic, sound for pretend gunshots when playing. More like “thhhwack” IIRC ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/10 "2024-10-24T02:51:06Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What happened to rat-a-tat tat? I think that’s for door knocking(?) My first thought was that it’s from the old gangster days to mean machine guns but maybe I’m conflating it with the line “you dirty rat”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/11 "2024-10-24T10:58:23Z")
When I was a kid (50 years ago) we said “peng, peng”, but I could imagine that German kids today have adapted “bang, bang”. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/12 "2024-10-24T11:06:46Z")
Japanese say “ban, ban”. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-spoken-sound-of-gunshots-in-english-and-other-languages/1009109/13 "2024-10-24T16:15:51Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What happened to rat-a-tat tat? That was for the Thompson machine gun. I think it was only for written works as I don’t remember anyone actually saying it. I like the sound of a Metal Storm on full tilt - around a million rounds a minute. Just a big, “Briiiiip”. Forward to the one minute mark: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso)