Japanese

Alternative forms

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

Verb

笑う ‎(intransitive, godan conjugation, hiragana わらう, romaji warau, historical hiragana わらふ)

1. to spontaneously express joy or amusement by means of the voice or facial expression:
   1. to laugh
   2. to smile

      マイクがよく笑 (わら)いますよね。

      Maiku ga yoku waraimasu yo ne.

      Mike laughs / smiles a lot, doesn't he.

2. 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

3. to split open from ripening (as fruit or vegetables)

   栗 (くり)が笑 (わら)っている時期 (じき)

   kuri ga waratte iru jiki

   the season when the chestnuts ripen and split open

4. (figuratively) 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

5. 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

6. (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

笑う ‎(transitive, godan conjugation, hiragana わらう, romaji warau, historical hiragana わらふ)

1. 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

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); 馬鹿 (ばか)にする ‎(baka ni suru); 嘲笑 (ちょうしょう)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

Derived terms