Japanese Kanji for Smile: 笑 and 笑顔
The Japanese kanji for smile is the character 笑, 10 strokes, N3 level. It is read as "warau" (to laugh) and "emu" (to smile), with on'yomi ショウ. The word for "smile" is 笑顔 (egao), literally "laughing face." At the top is the "bamboo" radical ⺮: according to one theory, the bent stalks resemble a person doubled over with laughter.
笑顔 — "a face that laughs." Japanese does not separate a smile from laughter as strictly as Russian does: one character 笑 covers both, and the word distinguishes them. Hence the confusion for beginners: 笑う means both "to laugh" and "to smile."
How to Write the Japanese Kanji for Smile
笑 — значение: to laugh, to smile — онъёми: ショウ — кунъёми: わら.う、え.む — 10 штрих(ов). N3 level, 10 strokes. Click "Show order" — strokes will appear as if written by hand.
"Bamboo" on Top
The top element ⺮ is the compressed form of 竹 "bamboo." The same radical appears in 箱 (box), 筆 (brush), 笛 (flute) — things made from bamboo. In 笑, its presence is explained figuratively: the stalks bend like a person laughing.
Words for Smile and Laughter
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 笑顔 | egao · egao | Smile, smiling face |
| 笑う | warau · warau | To laugh, to smile |
| 微笑み | hohoemi · hohoemi | Gentle smile |
| 笑い声 | waraigoe · waraigoe | Laughter (sound) |
| にこにこ | nikoniko · nikoniko | With a smile, beaming |
| 笑わせる | warawaseru · warawaseru | To make someone laugh |
"www" Instead of an Emoticon
In Japanese internet slang, laughter is denoted by the letter w — from 笑 (warau). One "w" is a chuckle, "www" is a laugh; sometimes they write (笑) in parentheses, like we write ")". The symbol 草 ("grass") means the same thing: a thick "wwww" visually resembles grass.
Write 笑 Yourself
Trace the character along the guides — the system will evaluate each stroke.
FAQ
- Which Japanese kanji means smile?
- 笑 — 10 strokes, N3 level. The word for "smile" itself is 笑顔 (egao), literally "laughing face."
- How do you say "smile" in Japanese?
- 笑顔 (egao). A gentle smile is 微笑み (hohoemi), "to smile" is 笑う (warau) or 微笑む (hohoemu).
- Why is there one character for both laughter and smile?
- 笑 covers the entire range: the word distinguishes them. 笑う means both to laugh and to smile; 笑い声 is specifically the sound of laughter, 微笑み is a gentle smile.
- What does "www" mean in Japanese comments?
- Laughter. The letter w comes from 笑 (warau). The more "w"s, the stronger the laughter; similarly, 草 "grass" is used because "wwww" looks like it.
Updated: 2026-07-25