Use 笑う for laughing or smiling in context; these examples focus on laughter.
The idea
笑う is a godan verb. Its polite form is 笑います, its negative is 笑わない, and its て form is 笑って. Use みんなで to laugh together and a cause such as a joke to explain why.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite negative | Polite past | て form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 笑う | 笑います | 笑いません | 笑いました | 笑って |
Examples
- 子供たちが大きな声で笑いました。The children laughed loudly.
- 友達の冗談を聞いて、みんなで笑いました。We all laughed when we heard our friend’s joke.
- 彼女は写真を見て笑っています。She is laughing as she looks at a photo.
- 人の失敗を笑わないでください。Please do not laugh at other people’s mistakes.
- その映画は面白くて、何度も笑いました。The film was funny, and I laughed many times.
- 赤ちゃんが笑うと、母も笑います。When the baby laughs, the mother laughs too.
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Watch out
人を笑う or 人の失敗を笑う can mean mocking someone or their mistake; it is different from laughing together. The て form is 笑って, with a small っ.
Try it yourself
＿。（笑う→ます）
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笑います
笑います changes the final う to い before ます.
＿。（笑う→て）
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笑って
笑って is the て form: the final う becomes って.
人の失敗を＿ください。（笑わないで／笑って）
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笑わないで
笑わないでください means “please do not laugh”; the negative suits the warning.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
＿。（笑う→ます）
＿。（笑う→て）
人の失敗を＿ください。（笑わないで／笑って）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe a funny moment using 笑いました, then say what you should not laugh at.