Japanese symbol for “laughter”
笑い
わらい
Romaji: warai
laugh; laughter
In Japanese, laughter is 笑い, read わらい (warai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n laugh; laughter
- n smile
- n sneer
- n sex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.)
Written forms: 笑い、笑、嗤い、咲い. Readings: わらい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “laughter”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 笑い声 | わらいごえ waraigoe | (sound of) laughter; laughing voice |
| 笑声 | しょうせい shousei | laugh; laughter |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 笑顔 | えがお egao | smiling face; smile |
| 笑う | わらう warau | to laugh |
| 微笑 | びしょう bishou | smile |
| 笑い声 | わらいごえ waraigoe | (sound of) laughter; laughing voice |
| 苦笑 | くしょう kushou | bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh |
See also: Chinese symbol for “laughter”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.