わろた

• Reading: わろた
• Romaji: warota
• Pronunciation: /wa.ɾo.ta/

Meaning

Laughed, LOL — internet slang past tense of 笑う (warau), expressing amused reaction to something funny.

わろた originated from the Kansai dialect past tense of 笑う (warau → warota), where 笑った becomes わろた. It spread through 2ch (now 5ch) bulletin board culture in the early 2000s and is now used nationwide in online communication. The katakana form ワロタ is equally common and often preferred for emphasis. It conveys a lighter, more casual amusement than the standard 笑った, carrying the playful irreverence of internet culture.

Examples

1. あの動画見てわろた、腹筋崩壊したわ。 I watched that video and LOL'd, my abs were dying.
2. 友達の誤変換がひどすぎてわろた。 My friend's autocorrect fail was so bad I was dying laughing.
3. 深夜にわろたせいで家族起こしちゃった。 I laughed so hard late at night that I woke up my family.

Usage Guide

Context: internet, social media, messaging

Tone: amused, casual

Do Say

• このスレ面白すぎてわろた。 (This thread is too funny, LOL.)
• 自分の失敗動画見返してわろた。 (Watched my own fail video again and cracked up.)

Don't Say

• 面と向かって「わろた」は不自然 (Saying 'warota' face to face sounds unnatural — it is internet-native slang)

Common Mistakes

• Using わろた in spoken conversation — it is primarily written/typed internet slang and sounds odd when spoken aloud
• Confusing わろた with the standard Kansai dialect — online わろた is used by speakers of all dialects

Origin & History

From Kansai-ish past tense 笑った → わろた. Popularised through 2ch bulletin board culture in the early 2000s. Now used nationwide as online slang. ワロタ in katakana is also common.

Cultural Context

Era: Early 2000s, 2ch bulletin board era

Generation: Teens to 30s, internet-native speakers

Social background: Internet culture, all social classes online

Regional notes: Although derived from Kansai dialect, わろた is used by internet users nationwide regardless of their home dialect. The 2ch/5ch origin gives it a distinct otaku/internet culture flavour.