Smile meanings in Japanese

笑顔 (えがお, egao)

Example:

She greeted me with a warm smile.

彼女は温かい笑顔で私を迎えてくれました。

His smile made everyone feel at ease.

彼の笑顔はみんなをリラックスさせました。

Usage: informalContext: Used in everyday conversations to describe a friendly or pleasant facial expression.

Note: This term is commonly used to describe a genuine smile that conveys happiness or friendliness.

微笑み (ほほえみ, hohoemi)

Example:

She gave me a gentle smile.

彼女は優しい微笑みを浮かべました。

His smile was subtle and charming.

彼の微笑みは控えめで魅力的でした。

Usage: formal/informalContext: Often used in literature or formal contexts to describe a soft or gentle smile.

Note: This term conveys a sense of warmth and tenderness, and can be used to describe both physical and emotional expressions.

笑う (わらう, warau)

Example:

They laughed and smiled at the joke.

彼らはそのジョークに笑い、笑顔を浮かべました。

It's good to smile and laugh with friends.

友達と笑って笑顔を見せるのは良いことです。

Usage: informalContext: Used when referring to the action of smiling or laughing in a light-hearted context.

Note: This verb means 'to laugh,' but it can imply smiling as part of the action.

ほほえむ (hohoemu)

Example:

She smiled while watching the sunset.

夕日を見ながら彼女はほほえみました。

He smiled at the child playing.

遊んでいる子供を見て彼はほほえみました。

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used to describe the act of smiling softly or gently, often in a reflective or tender moment.

Note: This verb emphasizes the act of smiling and can be used in both casual and formal situations.

grin

A grin is a wide smile that shows the teeth.

Example: She gave him a big grin when he told a joke.

Note: A grin usually implies a broader smile compared to a regular smile.

beam

To beam is to smile broadly and happily.

Example: Her face beamed with happiness when she saw her family.

Note: Beaming is often used to describe an extremely happy or radiant smile.

smirk

A smirk is a smile expressing smugness, scorn, or amusement.

Example: He smirked at her teasingly, knowing he had won the argument.

Note: A smirk can have a negative or mischievous connotation compared to a genuine smile.

Put a smile on someone's face

To make someone happy or cheerful.

Example: Her kind words really put a smile on my face.

Note: The phrase indicates the action of bringing joy to someone, rather than just the physical act of smiling.

Grin from ear to ear

To smile broadly and happily.

Example: When he saw his surprise birthday party, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Note: This idiom emphasizes a wide and joyful smile that reaches from one ear to the other.

Wipe the smile off someone's face

To make someone stop smiling or become unhappy.

Example: The bad news wiped the smile off her face.

Note: Contrary to smiling, this phrase describes the removal of a smile due to a negative event or circumstance.

Smile through gritted teeth

To force a smile even though one is angry or frustrated.

Example: She smiled through gritted teeth as she listened to his excuses.

Note: This phrase conveys the idea of hiding negative emotions behind a smile, showing a contrast between the outward expression and inner feelings.

Keep a stiff upper lip

To remain brave and maintain composure in difficult situations.

Example: Despite the challenges, she kept a stiff upper lip and stayed strong.

Note: While smiling may convey happiness, keeping a stiff upper lip emphasizes resilience and control in the face of adversity.

All smiles

To be very cheerful or happy.

Example: She was all smiles when she received the award.

Note: This idiom suggests a state of continuous happiness or contentment, often beyond just a simple smile.

Grin and bear it

To endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with a smile.

Example: Even though the situation was tough, he had to grin and bear it.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the act of maintaining a smile or positive attitude despite facing challenges or discomfort.

Cheese

In informal contexts, 'cheese' is used as a slang term for smiling broadly in front of a camera, derived from the practice of saying 'cheese' to make people smile in photographs.

Example: Whenever she takes a photo, she always flashes a big cheese.

Note: This slang term specifically refers to smiling for a photo, unlike a general smile.

Giggle

To 'giggle' is to laugh in a silly or childlike way, often with a series of short, repeated, high-pitched sounds.

Example: The joke was so funny that it made her giggle uncontrollably.

Note: While giggling may involve smiling, it predominantly indicates a higher degree of amusement or laughter.

Chuckle

To 'chuckle' is to laugh quietly or to oneself, often with a gentle and partly suppressed laugh.

Example: His dry sense of humor always makes her chuckle during their conversations.

Note: Chuckling involves a subdued laugh accompanied by a smile, conveying amusement or light-heartedness.

Smile from earlobe to earlobe

An exaggerated way to describe a very broad and happy smile, reaching from one earlobe to the other.

Example: When he won the championship, he had a smile from earlobe to earlobe.

Note: This expression emphasizes an exceptionally wide and joyful smile, extending far beyond a typical smile.

She gave me a big smile when I walked into the room.

He always smiles when he sees his grandchildren.

The comedian's jokes always bring a smile to my face.

Smile - Verb (Verb) / Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present)

Lemma: smile

Conjugations

Noun, plural (Noun, plural): smiles

Noun, singular or mass (Noun, singular or mass): smile

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): smiled

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): smiling

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): smiles

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): smile

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): smile

Syllabification and Stress

smile Contains 1 syllables: smile

Phonetic transcription: ˈsmī(-ə)l

smile , ˈsmī( ə)l (The red syllable is stressed)

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

smile: ~ 1300 (Very common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

Smile