草

• Reading: くさ
• Romaji: kusa
• Kanji breakdown: 草 (grass) — visual metaphor from repeated w's (wwwww) resembling grass blades
• Pronunciation: /ku.sa/

Meaning

The Japanese internet equivalent of 'LOL,' used to express amusement or laughter online.

Originally, Japanese internet users typed 笑 (warau, 'laugh') or its abbreviation 'w' at the end of messages. Chains of 'w' (e.g., wwwww) visually resemble blades of grass, which led to 草 (kusa, 'grass') becoming slang for laughter. It can be used alone as a reaction or appended to a sentence. The intensified form 大草原 (dai sōgen, 'vast grassland') means something is extremely funny.

Examples

1. さっきの動画見た？マジで草なんだけど。 Did you see that video from earlier? It's seriously hilarious.
2. 自分で転んでるのに怒ってるの草すぎる。 The fact that he tripped on his own and is still mad about it is too funny.
3. 朝起きたら猫が顔の上で寝てて草。 I woke up this morning and my cat was sleeping right on my face, lol.

Usage Guide

Context: social media, online chat, video comments

Tone: humorous, reactive

Do Say

• それ草 (That's hilarious)
• 草生えるわこれ (This is cracking me up)

Don't Say

• 仕事のメールで「草」と書く (Don't write 'kusa' in work emails — it's internet-only slang)

Common Mistakes

• Using 草 in spoken conversation outside of ironic or humorous contexts — it is primarily a written/online term
• Not understanding 大草原 (vast grassland) as an intensified version meaning 'extremely funny'

Origin & History

Evolved from the Japanese internet practice of appending 'w' (from 笑う, warau) after text to indicate laughter. Multiple w's (wwwww) visually resemble grass, leading to 草 (grass) being used as a synonym. Popularized on Nico Nico Douga and 2channel in the late 2000s.

Cultural Context

Era: Late 2000s, mainstream by 2010s

Generation: Millennials and Gen Z

Social background: Internet-savvy users

Regional notes: Used across Japan in online spaces. Rarely spoken aloud except ironically among friends.