笑う

Japanese

Kanji in this term
笑
わら Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative forms

(to bloom; to ripen): (less common) 咲う
(to make fun of): (less common) 嗤う

Etymology

Derived from verb 割る (waru, “to split, to break, to crack”), as imperfect form wara- + auxiliary verb ふ (fu, indicating repetition or ongoing state: modern verb ending う u): "to be in the act of cracking up / breaking open".^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) わらう [wàráú] (Heiban – [0])^[2]^[3]^[4]
IPA^(key): [β̞a̠ɾa̠ɯ̟]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 笑う

Plain	笑う	わらう	`[wàráú]`
Conjunctive	笑って	わらって	`[wàrátté]`
Perfective	笑った	わらった	`[wàráttá]`
Negative	笑わない	わらわない	`[wàráwánáí]`
Negative perfective	笑わなかった	わらわなかった	`[wàráwánáꜜkàttà]`
Hypothetical conditional	笑えば	わらえば	`[wàráéꜜbà]`
Past conditional	笑ったら	わらったら	`[wàráttáꜜrà]`
Imperative	笑え	わらえ	`[wàráé]`
Volitional	笑おう	わらおー	`[wàráóꜜò]`
Desiderative	笑いたい	わらいたい	`[wàráítáí]`
Formal	笑います	わらいます	`[wàráímáꜜsù]`
Formal negative	笑いません	わらいません	`[wàráímáséꜜǹ]`
Formal volitional	笑いましょう	わらいましょー	`[wàráímáshóꜜò]`
Formal perfective	笑いました	わらいました	`[wàráímáꜜshìtà]`
Continuative	笑い笑いに	わらいわらいに	`[wàráí]` `[wàráí ní]`
Negative continuative	笑わず笑わずに	わらわずわらわずに	`[wàráwázú]` `[wàráwázú ní]`
Passive	笑われる	わらわれる	`[wàráwárérú]`
Causative	笑わせる笑わす	わらわせるわらわす	`[wàráwásérú]` `[wàráwású]`
Potential	笑える	わらえる	`[wàráérú]`

Verb

笑(わら)う • (warau) ^{←わらふ (warafu)^?}intransitive godan (stem 笑(わら)い (warai), past 笑(わら)った (waratta))

to spontaneously express joy or amusement by means of the voice or facial expression:
1. to laugh
  - 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki, page 96:
    微笑下音焼訓和良布^[5]
    (please add an English translation of this quotation)
2. to smile
  マイクはよく笑(わら)いますよね。
  Maiku wa yoku waraimasu yo ne.
  Mike laughs / smiles a lot, doesn't he.
to split open (as a plant bud), to bloom
桜(さくら)の花(はな)が笑(わら)う
sakura no hana ga warau
the cherry flowers bloom
to split open from ripening (as fruit or vegetables)
栗(くり)が笑(わら)っている時(じ)期(き)
kuri ga waratte iru jiki
the season when the chestnuts ripen and split open
(figurative) to bud, become green and verdant, and bloom in spring (as the landscape)
山(やま)の景(け)色(しき)が笑(わら)う
yama no keshiki ga warau
the mountain landscape comes alive / quickens / blooms
to come undone (as a stitch or seam)
縫(ぬ)い目(め)が笑(わら)っている
nuime ga waratte iru
the seam is coming open
(slang) to become weak and wobbly (as in the knees)
膝(ひざ)が笑(わら)う
hiza ga warau
go wobbly in the knees

Verb

笑(わら)う • (warau) ^{←わらふ (warafu)^?}transitive godan (stem 笑(わら)い (warai), past 笑(わら)った (waratta))

to laugh at, to make fun of, to make a fool of
ジュディは私(わたし)を笑(わら)った。
Judi wa watashi o waratta.
Judy laughed at me / made fun of me / made a fool of me.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "笑う" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	笑わ	わらわ	warawa
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	笑い	わらい	warai
Shūshikei ("terminal")	笑う	わらう	warau
Rentaikei ("attributive")	笑う	わらう	warau
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	笑え	わらえ	warae
Meireikei ("imperative")	笑え	わらえ	warae
Key constructions
Passive	笑われる	わらわれる	warawareru
Causative	笑わせる笑わす	わらわせるわらわす	warawaseru warawasu
Potential	笑える	わらえる	waraeru
Volitional	笑おう	わらおう	waraō
Negative	笑わない	わらわない	warawanai
Negative continuative	笑わず	わらわず	warawazu
Formal	笑います	わらいます	waraimasu
Perfective	笑った	わらった	waratta
Conjunctive	笑って	わらって	waratte
Hypothetical conditional	笑えば	わらえば	waraeba

Classical conjugation of "笑ふ" (ハ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	笑は	わらは	warafa
Continuative (連用形)	笑ひ	わらひ	warafi
Terminal (終止形)	笑ふ	わらふ	warafu
Attributive (連体形)	笑ふ	わらふ	warafu
Realis (已然形)	笑へ	わらへ	warafe
Imperative (命令形)	笑へ	わらへ	warafe
Key constructions
Negative	笑はず	わらはず	warafazu
Contrasting conjunction	笑へど	わらへど	warafedo
Causal conjunction	笑へば	わらへば	warafeba
Conditional conjunction	笑はば	わらはば	warafaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	笑ひき	わらひき	warafiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	笑ひけり	わらひけり	warafikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	笑ひつ	わらひつ	warafitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	笑ひぬ	わらひぬ	warafinu
Perfect-continuative tense	笑へり笑ひたり	わらへりわらひたり	waraferi warafitari
Volitional	笑はむ	わらはむ	warafamu

Extended conjugation of warau "笑う" (Class: godan "pentagrade")

(See Appendix:Japanese verbs and Japanese conjugation)
Ren’yōkei ("continuative form")	笑い [warai]
Rentaikei ("attributive form")	笑う [warau]
	Positive	Negative
Conjunctive (te-form)	笑って [waratte]	笑わないで [warawanai de] 笑わなくて [warawanakute]
Non-past / Imperfective
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑う [warau]	笑わない [warawanai]
Polite	笑います [waraimasu]	笑いません [waraimasen]
Past / Perfective
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑った [waratta]	笑わなかった [warawanakatta]
Polite	笑いました [waraimashita]	笑いませんでした [waraimasen deshita]
Passive
Verb stem	笑われ [waraware]
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑われる [warawareru]	笑われない [warawarenai]
Polite	笑われます [warawaremasu]	笑われません [warawaremasen]
Past	笑われた [warawareta]	笑われなかった [warawarenakatta]
Polite past	笑われました [warawaremashita]	笑われませんでした [warawaremasen deshita]
Causative
Verb stem	笑わせ [warawase]
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑わせる [warawaseru] short form: 笑わす [warawasu]	笑わせない [warawasenai]
Polite	笑わせます [warawasemasu]	笑わせません [warawasemasen]
Past	笑わせた [warawaseta]	笑わせなかった [warawasenakatta]
Polite past	笑わせました [warawasemashita]	笑わせませんでした [warawasemasen deshita]
Potential
Verb stem	笑え [warae]
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑える [waraeru]	笑えない [waraenai]
Polite	笑えます [waraemasu]	笑えません [waraemasen]
Past	笑えた [waraeta]	笑えなかった [waraenakatta]
Polite past	笑えました [waraemashita]	笑えませんでした [waraemasen deshita]
Imperative
	Positive	Negative
Meireikei / Firm instruction	笑え [warae]	—
Other imperative constructions
	Positive	Negative
Polite request	笑ってください [waratte kudasai]	笑わないでください [warawanai de kudasai]
-nasai form	笑いなさい [warainasai]	—
Prohibitive / Do not ~	—	笑うな [warau na]
Volitional / Presumptive
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑おう [waraō]	—
Polite	笑いましょう [waraimashō]	—
Conditional
	Positive	Negative
Hypothetical / Provisional	笑えば [waraeba]	笑わなければ [warawanakereba] colloquial: 笑わなきゃ [warawanakya]
-tara form	笑ったら [warattara]	笑わなかったら [warawanakattara]
Causative passive
Verb stem	standard: 笑わせられ [warawaserare] colloquial: 笑わされ [warawasare] ¹
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑わせられる [warawaserareru] 笑わされる [warawasareru]	笑わせられない [warawaserarenai] 笑わされない [warawasarenai]
Polite	笑わせられます [warawaseraremasu] 笑わされます [warawasaremasu]	笑わせられません [warawaseraremasen] 笑わされません [warawasaremasen]
Past	笑わせられた [warawaserareta] 笑わされた [warawasareta]	笑わせられなかった [warawaserarenakatta] 笑わされなかった [warawasarenakatta]
Polite past	笑わせられました [warawaseraremashita] 笑わされました [warawasaremashita]	笑わせられませんでした [warawaseraremasen deshita] 笑わされませんでした [warawasaremasen deshita]
Desiderative (-tai form)
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑いたい [waraitai]	笑いたくない [waraitaku nai]
	For other desiderative forms, see たい#Inflection.
Progressive action and current state (-te iru form)
	Positive	Negative
Plain	笑っている [waratte iru] contraction: 笑ってる [waratteru]	笑っていない [waratte inai] contraction: 笑ってない [warattenai]
Polite	笑っています [waratte imasu]	笑っていません [waratte imasen]
Past	笑っていた [waratte ita]	笑っていなかった [waratte inakatta]
Polite past	笑っていました [waratte imashita]	笑っていませんでした [waratte imasen deshita]

Other forms and constructions
Archaic or classical negative	笑わぬ [warawanu] ²
Archaic attributive negative	笑わぬ [warawanu] ²
Colloquial or dialectal -ん negative	笑わん [warawan]
Negative continuative	笑わず [warawazu] ²
(〜に): without ~ing	笑わず [warawazu] ²
Representative / Listing examples	笑ったり [warattari]

¹ In everyday speech, せら is shortened into さ in the causative passive forms of godan verbs: 笑わせられる → 笑わされる.
² Archaic form, now mostly used in set phrases, written language and formal speech.

Synonyms

(smile): 微(ほほ)笑(え)む (hohoemu); 笑(え)む (emu); にこにこする (nikoniko suru)
(bloom): 笑(え)む (emu); 咲(さ)く (saku)
(open from ripening): 笑(え)む (emu)
(ripen in general): 熟(じゅく)す (jukusu), 熟(じゅく)する (jukusuru); 熟(う)れる (ureru); 熟(う)む (umu)
(come undone): 綻(ほころ)びる (hokorobiru); 解(と)ける (tokeru)
(make fun of): 嘲(あざけ)る (azakeru); 馬(ば)鹿(か)にする (baka ni suru); 嘲(ちょう)笑(しょう)する (chōshō suru); 嘲笑(あざわら)う (azawarau); 嗤(し)笑(しょう)する (shishō suru): to laugh at, to ridicule, to jeer at

Idioms

笑(わら)う顔(かお)に矢(や)立(た)たず (warau kao ni ya tatazu): "arrows won't pierce a smiling face" → someone approaching in friendship will not be fired upon; a smile will melt away hostility
笑(わら)う顔(かお)は打(う)たれぬ (warau kao wa utarenu): "a smiling face won't get hit" → someone approaching in friendship will not be attacked; a smile will melt away hostility
笑(わら)う山(やま) (warau yama): "the smiling mountains" →
笑(わら)うものは測(はか)るべからず (warau mono wa hakaru bekarazu): "you can't take the measure of a smiling man" → someone who is always smiling is hard to read, and may thus be more predator than pal: be wary of charmers
笑(わら)う門(かど)には福(ふく)来(きた)る (warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru): "fortune comes to the smiling door" → happiness brings good luck, laugh and grow fat
笑(わら)い三(さん)年(ねん)泣(な)き三(みつ)月(き) (warai sannen naki mitsuki): "laughter three years, crying three months" → a metaphorical rule of thumb for how long it takes to learn proper expression in the traditional 義太夫 (gidayū) style of dramatic recital
笑(わら)いの内(うち)に刀(かたな)を礪(と)ぐ (warai no uchi ni katana o togu): "to sharpen a sword while laughing / smiling" → to make oneself appear happy while thinking hostile thoughts
笑(わら)いは人(ひと)の薬(くすり) (warai wa hito no kusuri): "laughter is medicine for people" → laughter is the best medicine
笑(わら)って損(そん)した者(もの)なし (waratte son shita mono nashi): "no one's been hurt by smiling" → a smile never hurts
笑(わら)って損(そん)するは箔(はく)屋(や)ばかり (waratte son suru wa hakuya bakari): "the only one to make a loss on laughing is an embosser" → if an embosser laughs, the gold foil they work with would go flying, but for anyone else, laughter brings good fortune
笑(わら)って太(ふと)れ (waratte futore): "laugh and grow fat" → happiness brings good luck
笑(わら)って暮(く)らすも一(いっ)生(しょう)泣(な)いて暮(く)らすも一(いっ)生(しょう) (waratte kurasu mo isshō naite kurasu mo isshō); 泣(な)いて暮(く)らすも一(いっ)生(しょう)笑(わら)って暮(く)らすも一(いっ)生(しょう) (naite kurasu mo isshō waratte kurasu mo isshō): "you can live crying, or live laughing"
笑(わら)わざれば以(もっ)て道(みち)と為(な)すに足(た)らず (warawazareba motte michi to nasu ni tarazu): "if it's not laughed at, it's not enough to be the right way" → from the way a fool will laugh when told the way to do something, so if it's not enough for even a fool to laugh at, then it must not have any value at all

Derived terms

w (w): LOL
笑(わら)い (warai): a laugh, laughter; a smile
大(おお)笑(わら)い (ōwarai): a big laugh, a guffaw, uproarious laughter
笑(わら)い絵(え) (warai e): a funny picture; pornography
笑(わら)い顔(がお) (waraigao): a smiling face
笑(わら)われ者(もの) (warawaremono): a laughingstock
笑(わら)い種(ぐさ) (waraigusa): a laughingstock
笑(わらい)薬(ぐすり) (waraigusuri): a drug or medicine that makes someone laugh for no reason
笑(わら)い崩(くず)れる (waraikuzureru): to be convulsed with laughter
笑(わらい)口(ぐち) (waraiguchi): a laughing or smiling mouth
笑(わら)い声(ごえ) (waraigoe): laughter
笑(わら)い転(こ)ける (waraikokeru): to laugh one's head off, to split one's sides, ROFL
笑(わら)い事(ごと) (waraigoto): a laughing matter
笑(わら)い転(ころ)げる (waraikorogeru): to fall down laughing, to laugh one's head off, ROFL
笑(わら)いさざめく (waraisazameku): to laugh merrily, as in a group
笑(わらい)様(ざま) (waraizama): [in] a laughing manner, laughingly
笑(わらい)尉(じょう) (waraijō): in Noh theatre, the traditional mask of a smiling man
笑(わら)い上(じょう)戸(ご) (warai jōgo): a happy or cheerful drinker; someone who laughs easily
笑(わら)い皺(じわ) (waraijiwa): a laugh line, a facial wrinkle from smiling
笑(わら)い初(ぞ)め (waraizome), 笑初(わらいぞめ) (waraizome): blooming first in early spring
笑(わら)い茸(たけ) (waraitake): the "laughing mushroom": Panaeolus papilionaceus, a poisonous mushroom, so called for the spontaneous laughter it causes when eaten due to its neurotoxic effects
笑(わら)い立(た)つ (waraitatsu): to burst out laughing; to deride someone
笑(わらい)道(どう)具(ぐ) (waraidōgu): something used to invite laughter; sex toys
笑(わら)い飛(と)ばす (waraitobasu): to laugh something off
笑(わら)い話(ばなし) (waraibanashi): a funny story
笑(わら)い本(ぼん) (waraibon): a book of 笑い絵 (warai e): a book of funny pictures; a book of pornography
笑(わら)い物(もの) (waraimono), 笑(わら)い者(もの) (waraimono): a laughingstock
笑(わらい)翡翠(かわせみ) (warai kawasemi): Dacelo novaeguineae, the laughing kookaburra
笑(わら)い仏(ぼとけ) (waraibotoke), 笑(わらい)仏(ぼとけ) (waraibotoke): (Buddhism) a statue of a smiling or laughing Buddha; statues of ancient poets of similar appearance and placed in front of a 経蔵 (kyōzō, “a repository for sūtras and chronicles of a temple's history”)

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Unknown (794), Yoshinori Kobayashi, editor, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (Kojisho Ongi Shūsei) (in Japanese), volume 1, Kyūko Shoin, published 1978, →ISBN.

“笑う”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-3] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-4] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[SKOS-5] Unknown (794), Yoshinori Kobayashi, editor, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (Kojisho Ongi Shūsei) (in Japanese), volume 1, Kyūko Shoin, published 1978, →ISBN.

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