草
[kɯ̟̊sa̠]
'lmao' in Japanese is expressed as 草.
In informal online communication, 草 is used as slang to indicate that something is very funny, functioning similarly to the English 'lmao' or 'lol'.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 草 literally means 'grass'.
Which one should you use?
While the letter w is an older form of internet slang used to represent laughter, 草 is a more modern evolution used in similar contexts.
Did you know?
- Users sometimes write 大草原 'daisougen', meaning 'great prairie', to indicate that something is even funnier than a single blade of 草.
- Because 草 represents a line of 'w' characters that look like blades of grass, people sometimes use 草生える (kusa haeru), meaning 'grass grows', to say something is funny.
- The character 草 has been present in Japanese literature since the Man'yōshū, a poetry collection completed around 759 CE.
Examples in context
- 君のユーモアのセンスには本当にいつも爆笑させられるよ！Your sense of humor always makes me burst into laughter!
- あの動画、マジで草。Ano douga, maji de kusa.That video is seriously lmao.
- 今の言い方、草生える。Ima no iikata, kusa haeru.The way you said that just made me laugh so hard.
- 失敗したのが草。Shippai shita no ga kusa.The fact that it failed is hilarious.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are chatting on a messaging app.
- 健太 Kenta見て、この猫の顔！mite, kono neko no kao!Look at this cat's face!
- 結衣 Yui草。何やってるの？kusa. nani yatteru no?Lmao. What is it doing?
- 健太 Kenta箱に詰まってるんだよ。hako ni tsumatteru n da yo.It's stuck in a box.
- 結衣 Yuiめっちゃ草なんだけど。meccha kusa nan dakedo.That is seriously lmao.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 草, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 草, CC BY-SA 4.0.
