Word
笑う
Meaning in Englishlaugh, smile
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 笑う mean? It means to laugh or to smile, expressing amusement, joy, or lighthearted emotion; it covers both genuine laughter and a simple, pleasant smile in social interactions.
Main meanings
- to laugh aloud or show amusement
- to smile, especially a visible, open expression of joy
- to laugh at someone or something in a teasing or mocking way
How to use it
Used in everyday conversation to describe genuine laughter or a smile, with polite forms 笑います in formal contexts; in narrative or descriptive prose it portrays characters reacting to humor or cheerfulness and appears in idioms and fixed expressions about laughter.
Variants and close terms
- 微笑む (びしょうむ) — to smile softly
- ほほえむ (ほほえむ) — to smile
- 嘲笑う (ちょうしょう) — to sneer or ridicule
Composition
- 笑: the semantic kanji meaning laugh or smile
- う: the okurigana that marks the verb inflection, turning the noun-like kanji into the verb meaning to laugh or smile
Word class
verb (godan, 五段動詞)