If you've spent any time chatting with Japanese speakers online, watching Japanese livestreams, or reading comments on platforms like YouTube, Twitter (X), Discord, or NicoNico, you may have noticed something interesting:

Instead of writing "lol", "lmao", or "haha", Japanese users often type:

www
wwww
w

So what does this mean, and where did it come from? Let’s break it down.

The Meaning of "w"

The letter "w" comes from the Japanese word:

笑う (warau) — meaning to laugh

The kanji 笑 means laugh or smile. In online chat, this was shortened to just "w", taken from the first letter of warau.

So:

• w = laugh
• ww = laughing more
• www = laughing a lot
• wwwww = bursting out laughing

This works very similarly to how English speakers use:

• lol
• lmao
• hahaha

Why So Many "w"s?

Repeating the "w" increases the intensity of laughter.

Because it's easy to spam the letter w, it quickly became the standard way to express laughter online.

The Evolution: From "w" to "草 (kusa)"

Over time, a funny thing happened.

When many w characters appear together:

They start to look like blades of grass.

This led to a popular slang term:

草 (kusa) — meaning grass

So now:

• 草 = lol
• 草生える (kusa haeru) = this is so funny I'm dying (literally: grass is growing)

Example:

その動画、草生える
That video is hilarious lol

Differences Between "w", "www", and "草"

They all mean laughter, but the nuance is slightly different:

Where You'll See This Most

You’ll commonly find w and www in:

• Online games (MMOs, FPS, mobile games)
• YouTube and NicoNico comments
• Discord servers
• Twitter/X replies
• Livestream chats (VTubers, gaming streams)

Is It Polite?

Generally yes, but context matters.

• Casual chats with friends → Totally normal
• Public internet comments → Very common
• Formal emails or business messages → Not appropriate

In professional settings, laughter expressions are usually avoided.

Fun Comparison: Japanese vs English Internet Laughter

Japanese internet slang has its own unique style, and "w" is one of its most iconic features. It’s short, expressive, easy to type, and visually fun — which makes it perfect for fast-paced online communication.

So next time you see:

wwww

You’ll know exactly what it means — someone is having a great laugh, If you're learning Japanese or exploring Japanese internet culture, understanding these little details can make online conversations much more fun and natural!