An onomatopoeic word for light, short striking sounds or taps (e.g., the clap-clap of wooden clappers).
門付近で拍子木をちょんちょんと打って、呼び出した。
Someone struck the wooden clapper with a clack-clack near the gate to call people over.
太鼓の前で役者がちょんちょんと合図を送った。
The actor gave a quick tap-tap signal in front of the drum.
子どもが木の板を持ってちょんちょんと叩いて遊んでいた。
A child was playing, tapping a wooden board lightly, tap-tap.
An onomatopoeic/mimetic word for lightly and repeatedly touching or tapping something, or for something small hopping repeatedly.
猫が私の腕をちょんちょんとつついて、もっと遊んでほしそうだった。
The cat poked my arm lightly, as if wanting me to play more.
赤ちゃんが指をちょんちょんとさわって笑った。
The baby touched my finger lightly and laughed.
小石が流れでちょんちょんと跳ねていった。
Small stones hopped along the stream with quick little bounces.
A colloquial term sometimes used to refer to small punctuation marks like dakuten (the two little marks indicating voicing), called 'chon-chon'.
先生は『か』にちょんちょんをつけて『が』に変えた。
The teacher added the little marks to 'か' to change it to 'が'.
子どもがひらがなの練習帳にちょんちょんを書き込んでいた。
The child was scribbling little marks (dakuten) in their hiragana practice book.
『は』にちょんちょんを付けると『ば』になると説明した。
I explained that adding the little marks to 'は' turns it into 'ば'.