それは草

• Reading: それはくさ
• Romaji: sore wa kusa
• Kanji breakdown: 草 (grass) → internet slang for laughter, from w (warai) characters looking like blades of grass
• Pronunciation: /so.ɾe.wa.ku.sa/

Meaning

That's hilarious — literally 'that's grass,' using the internet slang 草 (grass = laughter).

A complete sentence using the internet slang 草 (kusa, grass = LOL), それは草 is a reaction phrase meaning 'that's so funny.' The 草 comes from the visual resemblance of multiple w's (wwwww) to blades of grass. While 草 alone works as a reaction, それは草 adds a demonstrative to specifically point out what is funny. Often used as a standalone reply on social media or in chat.

Examples

1. 自分のツイートに自分でいいねしてるの、それは草。 He liked his own tweet — that's hilarious.
2. それは草、朝から笑わせないで。 That's hilarious, don't make me laugh this early in the morning.
3. 先生の靴左右違うの、それは草でしょ。 The teacher's shoes don't match — that's gotta be hilarious.

Usage Guide

Context: social media, online chat, friends

Tone: amused, reactive

Do Say

• それは草、スクショした。 (That's hilarious, I screenshot it.)
• 寝坊して逆方向の電車乗ったの？それは草。 (You overslept AND got on the wrong train? That's hilarious.)

Don't Say

• 口頭で「それは草」は通じない相手もいる (Saying sore wa kusa out loud may not be understood by people unfamiliar with internet slang)

Common Mistakes

• Using それは草 in spoken conversation with people unfamiliar with internet slang — it may confuse them
• Not knowing that 草 can also be written as 草生える (grass is growing = laughing)

Origin & History

Combination of それは (that is) and 草 (grass = LOL, from the visual resemblance of wwwww to grass). Emerged naturally from Japanese internet culture in the 2010s as 草 became the standard text-based laughter expression.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s internet culture

Generation: Teens to 30s (internet-native)

Social background: Internet culture, increasingly mainstream

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Part of the w/草 internet laughter system that is now one of the defining features of Japanese online communication.