How do you say "smile" in Japanese?

微笑む

hohoemu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "smile" is 微笑む (hohoemu).

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Pronunciation

Hohoemu runs four even syllables, ho-ho-e-mu, with the doubled ho ho giving it a warm, gentle rhythm like a soft chuckle.

Writing and usage

微笑む is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

彼女はゲストたちに温かく微笑んだ。

kanojo ha gesuto tachini atatakaku hohoen da.

She smiled warmly at the guests.

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How to remember 微笑む

Hohoemu repeats 'ho ho', almost like a warm little laugh, matching the warmth of a genuine smile.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 微笑む

How do you pronounce 微笑む?

Hohoemu runs four even syllables, ho-ho-e-mu, with the doubled ho ho giving it a warm, gentle rhythm like a soft chuckle.

Is 微笑む formal or casual?

微笑む is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 微笑む written in Japanese?

微笑む is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as hohoemu.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Smile" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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