# 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".

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) わらう [wàráú] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [β̞a̠ɾa̠ɯ̟]
* Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「笑う」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary :
| Stem forms ||||
| Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形) | 笑う | わらう | [wàráú] |
| Imperative (命令形) | 笑え | わらえ | [wàráé] |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 笑われる | わらわれる | [wàráwárérú] |
| Causative | 笑わせる | わらわせる | [wàráwásérú] |
| Potential | 笑える | わらえる | [wàráérú] |
| Volitional | 笑おう | わらおー | [wàráóꜜò] |
| 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] |
| Formal | 笑います | わらいます | [wàráímáꜜsù] |
| Perfective | 笑った | わらった | [wàráttá] |
| Conjunctive | 笑って | わらって | [wàrátté] |
| Hypothetical conditional | 笑えば | わらえば | [wàráéꜜbà] |

### Verb

笑(わら)う • (warau) 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:
** to laugh
*** 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki, page 96:微笑 下音焼 訓和良布(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 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) 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

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 |

#### 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.