笑 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 笑 mean in Japanese?

笑 means to laugh or smile. The primary verb is 笑う (warau, to laugh), and 笑顔 (egao, smiling face) is one of the most frequently used compounds in everyday Japanese. 笑顔 appears in service greetings, workplace culture, and daily conversation far more often than most learners expect.

A softer, more restrained form is 微笑む (hohoemu, to smile gently) — a step up in nuance and register. It describes a quiet, warm smile rather than open laughter. Learners at N4 should recognise 微笑む but do not need to produce it actively at this stage.

Reading

On’yomi: ショウ (shou)

Kun’yomi: わら-う (wara-u), え-む (e-mu)

Basic Information

Kanji 笑
Meaning laugh, smile
Stroke Count 10
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

笑う covers the full range from a quiet chuckle to loud laughter. 笑い (warai) is the noun form: 笑いが止まらない (can’t stop laughing). 大笑い (oowarai) is a louder, more physical burst of laughter. 苦笑 (kushou) is a wry or awkward smile — not genuine amusement, but a smile at an uncomfortable or embarrassing situation. 笑顔 (egao) specifically refers to a smiling or cheerful facial expression, and is often used normatively in Japanese workplace and service culture: 笑顔で対応する (serve with a smile).

Common Words

  • 笑う（わらう / warau） — to laugh, to smile
  • 笑い（わらい / warai） — laughter (noun)
  • 笑顔（えがお / egao） — smiling face, smile
  • 大笑い（おおわらい / oowarai） — burst of laughter, laughing loudly
  • 苦笑（くしょう / kushou） — wry smile, bitter laugh
  • 微笑む（ほほえむ / hohoemu） — to smile gently (more advanced)

Example Sentences

  • 彼女は笑いながら話してくれました。

    かのじょはわらいながらはなしてくれました。 / Kanojo wa warai nagara hanashite kuremashita.

    She told me about it while laughing.

  • 笑顔で接客することが大切です。

    えがおでせっきゃくすることがたいせつです。 / Egao de sekkyaku suru koto ga taisetsu desu.

    It is important to serve customers with a smile.

  • 面白い話を聞いて大笑いしました。

    おもしろいはなしをきいておおわらいしました。 / Omoshiroi hanashi o kiite oowarai shimashita.

    I burst out laughing after hearing the funny story.

Related Kanji

  • 泣

    — Cry — 笑う (laugh) and 泣く (cry) are the two most fundamental emotional expression verbs; both are covered in Day 10

  • 顔

    — Face — 笑顔 (smiling face) = 笑 + 顔; 顔 is the component that grounds the smile in a physical, visible expression

  • 怒

    — Anger — 笑う (laugh), 泣く (cry), 怒る (get angry) form the core emotional trio covered together in Day 10

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

笑う is kun’yomi and is the standard everyday verb. The on’yomi ショウ appears in written compounds: 苦笑 (kushou, wry smile), 爆笑 (bakushou, explosive laughter), 微笑 (bishou, gentle smile). These on’yomi forms tend to be more formal or literary.

笑顔 (egao) = 笑 (smile) + 顔 (face). It is one of the highest-frequency compounds for 笑 and is heavily used in Japanese service culture, daily conversation, and social media. 笑顔が素敵ですね (You have a lovely smile) is a common compliment.

微笑む (hohoemu) describes a quiet, warm, restrained smile — closer to a gentle smile than open laughter. It appears often in literature, song lyrics, and TV drama narration. At N4, recognise it in written text; in speech, 笑う or にっこりする are more natural choices for ‘to smile.’

苦笑いする (nigawarai suru) is the colloquial verb for giving a wry or bitter laugh. 苦笑いした (gave a wry smile) suggests the situation was too awkward to ignore but not bad enough for anger. The on’yomi form 苦笑する (kushou suru) carries the same meaning in more formal writing.

Summary

笑 means to laugh or smile, with 笑う as the core everyday verb and 笑顔 (smiling face) as the most important compound. 微笑む (smile gently) is a more advanced form worth recognising but not yet producing actively.