ゲラゲラ

• Reading: げらげら
• Romaji: gera gera
• Pronunciation: /ge.ɾa.ge.ɾa/

Meaning

Laughing loudly, boisterously, or cackling without restraint.

ゲラゲラ describes uninhibited, loud laughter — the kind that fills a room and turns heads. It can be positive (friends cracking up together) but sometimes carries a negative nuance of laughing too loudly or inappropriately. In Japanese social settings where restraint is valued, ゲラゲラ笑う can be seen as impolite. The related slang ゲラ (gera) means someone who laughs easily at everything — a giggler.

Examples

1. お笑い番組見てゲラゲラ笑ってたら隣に怒られた。 I was cracking up at a comedy show and my neighbor got mad at me.
2. 友達とゲラゲラ笑い転げた夜が一番楽しい。 The best nights are the ones spent laughing our heads off with friends.
3. あの人ゲラだから何言ってもゲラゲラ笑うよ。 That guy laughs at everything so he'll crack up no matter what you say.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, entertainment, describing laughter

Tone: boisterous, unrestrained

Do Say

• ゲラゲラ笑いすぎてお腹痛い (I laughed so hard my stomach hurts)
• あいつマジでゲラだよな (That guy seriously laughs at everything)

Don't Say

• 静かな場所でゲラゲラ笑うのはマナー違反 (Cackling in a quiet place is bad manners)

Common Mistakes

• Using ゲラゲラ in formal writing — it's very colloquial and onomatopoeic
• Confusing with クスクス which is quiet giggling — ゲラゲラ is always loud

Origin & History

Onomatopoeia imitating the sound of loud, uncontrolled laughter. The hard ゲ sound emphasizes the volume and force of the laugh. ゲラ as a noun (someone who laughs easily) is a modern abbreviation.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional onomatopoeia

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The noun ゲラ is popular slang especially among younger speakers.