Japanese

わらう
Meaning: to laugh; to smile; to sneer
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 笑う 笑わない
Polite 笑います 笑いません
Past 笑った 笑わなかった
Polite + Past 笑いました 笑いませんでした
Te-form 笑って 笑わなくて
Potential 笑える 笑えない
Passive 笑われる 笑われない
Causative 笑わせる 笑わせない
Causative + Passive 笑わされる 笑わされない
Imperative 笑え 笑うな

Handwriting

笑
う

Example sentences

He heard the joke and laughed out loud.
笑った顔が素敵だ
Your smiling face is wonderful.
彼女はいつも笑っている
She is always smiling.
彼は冗談を言って、みんなを笑わせた。
He told a joke and made everyone laugh.
馬鹿なことを言って、みんなを笑わせた。
He said something stupid and made everyone laugh.
「ふん、そんなの嘘だよ」と彼は鼻で笑った。
「Hmph, that's a lie,」 he snorted.
彼は不敵ににやっと笑った。
He smirked boldly.
彼女は手紙を読みながら、ふふと笑った。
She giggled softly as she read the letter.
「ははは、それは面白いね」と彼は笑った。
'Hahaha, that's funny,' he laughed.
彼女は写真を見てフフと笑った。
She looked at the photo and chuckled.

Usage Notes

Mainly means to express joy or amusement, but can also mean 'to sneer' (嗤う) or 'to bloom' (咲う).

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