warai

Warai, written in kanji as 笑い, is the Japanese noun for laughter or a laugh; the corresponding verb is warau, to laugh. The character 笑 also denotes smiles and humor in various compounds; for example 大笑い indicates a big laugh and 笑う means to laugh.

In everyday use, warai refers to the act or phenomenon of laughter and to humor more generally. The related term お笑い (owarai) designates comedy as a genre or industry, including stand-up, sketches, and other media.

In writing and online communication, 笑 is used as an onomatopoeic symbol for laughter, and the word warai may appear in kana as わらい. In Japanese internet culture, the letter w is used to express laughter, often repeated as ww or wwww, reflecting the word warai.

Culturally, laughter serves as a social lubricant and a means of conveying amusement while managing politeness and context. Laughter also underpins traditional and contemporary Japanese comedy, including manzai and rakugo, as well as modern film, television, and online humor.