w

• Reading: ダブリュー
• Romaji: daburu
• Kanji breakdown: From the first letter of 笑う (warau, to laugh) — the letter W represents laughter
• Pronunciation: /da.bu.ryū/

Meaning

The letter 'w' appended to the end of text to indicate laughter, equivalent to 'lol.' Multiple w's (www, wwwww) indicate stronger amusement.

Derived from the first letter of 笑う (warau, 'to laugh'), 'w' is one of the oldest Japanese internet laugh markers. A single 'w' indicates mild amusement, while stacking more w's (wwwww) shows increasing hilarity. It is used almost exclusively in text communication and predates 草 as the standard online laugh marker. Some users mix styles, but 'w' remains universally understood across all Japanese internet communities.

Examples

1. テスト前日に寝落ちしたのウケるw Falling asleep the night before a test is too funny lol
2. 明日テストなのにまだ何もしてないwww I've got a test tomorrow and I still haven't studied at all lolol
3. その返しうますぎるwwwww That comeback was way too good lololol

Usage Guide

Context: online chat, social media, gaming, video comments

Tone: humorous, casual

Do Say

• ウケるw (That's funny lol)
• わかるwww (I totally get it lolol)

Don't Say

• ビジネスチャットで「w」を使う (Don't use 'w' in business chat tools like Slack at work — too informal)

Common Mistakes

• Using a single w when wwwww (multiple) is needed to convey genuine amusement — a lone w can seem sarcastic
• Mixing w with 笑 in the same message — pick one style for consistency

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 笑う (warau, 'to laugh') or 笑い (warai, 'laughter'). First popularized on 2channel and online gaming communities in the early 2000s. Predates 草 as the standard online laugh marker.

Cultural Context

Era: Early 2000s, from 2channel and online gaming culture

Generation: All internet users

Social background: Universal internet culture

Regional notes: Used across all Japanese online platforms. The number of w's correlates with intensity of laughter.