Waraimashita

Waraimashita is the polite past tense form of the Japanese verb warau, meaning to laugh. It is written as 笑いました in kanji and kana, and it indicates that laughter occurred in the past. The term is used in formal or neutral contexts.

Grammatically, warau is a godan (u-verb). The polite present form is waraimasu, and the polite past form is waraimashita. In Japanese, the subject is often omitted, so the phrase conveys the action of laughing without always naming who did so.

Usage examples include: 昨日、友達と笑いました。Kinou, tomodachi to waraimashita. “Yesterday I laughed with a friend.” 彼は笑いました。Kare wa waraimashita. “He laughed.” The polite past form is common in written language, news reports, and formal conversation.

In casual speech, speakers often use 笑った (waratta) or 笑っている (waratteiru) to express laughter in the past or ongoing. The polite form 笑いました remains appropriate in polite dialogue, business communication, and formal writing. Related forms include 笑う (warau, to laugh) and 笑い (warai, laughter).