Godan verb, intransitive verb

  1. to laugh.
  2. to smile.
  3. to sneer, to ridicule. Esp. 嗤う.
  4. to be dumbfounded, to be flabbergasted. As 笑ってしまう or 笑っちゃう.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
 
笑う わらう
 
嗤う わらう
 
咲う わらう
 
哂う わらう

Contained Kanji Breakdown

laugh
わら.う え.む ショウ (4th, N3)
bamboo
たけ チク たか (1st, N2)
individual(個) variant
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ かぎ (Kentei 1)
early death, calamity
ヨウ オウ カ (Kentei 1)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ えい よう (Kentei 1)
large, big
ダイ おお- た (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ いっ ひと- (1st, N5)
person
ひと ニン ジン (1st, N5)