How to say 'Wry smile' in Japanese | 苦笑

word

Meaning

Wry smile

Reading

Kanji

苦Suffer 笑Laugh

Explanation

The Japanese noun '苦笑 (くしょう)' refers to a 'wry smile' or a 'bitter smile'. It is used to describe a smile that expresses mixed feelings, such as embarrassment, resignation, or slight discomfort, often in response to an awkward or unfavorable situation. For example: He gave a wry smile when he realized his mistake「彼は自分の間違いに気づいて苦笑した」(かれはじぶんのまちがいにきづいてくしょうした). She responded with a wry smile to the awkward question「彼女はその気まずい質問に苦笑で答えた」(かのじょはそのきまずいしつもんにくしょうでこたえた). This term is commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese to convey subtle emotional nuances.

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

N3

Kanji Grade

4

Frequency

5247

Composition

kanji

Handwriting