Tired of expressing your laughter as “Haha, Hehe, LOL, LMAO”? Well, we surely have got something that might interest you. With so many languages around the world, it makes sense to have just as many kinds of laughter!
We are aware, people from different cultures have different ways of communicating their feelings. Likewise, means of interpreting peals of laughter are varied, too.
Nobody fails to recognize the presence of giggles, however, a surprising distinction is seen in how the speakers of different languages choose to write the way they laugh. Words, accents, phrases and reasons talking about what one feels, are perceived as different as lifestyles can be. LOL may mean ‘Laugh Out Loud’, but there are languages around the globe that provide better phrases to convey this.
Let’s have a look at the diverse representation and types of laughter in different languages!
French
Terms used: MDR, PTDRMDR
This basically means ‘mort de rire’ which translates to ‘died of laughing’. It is a replacement for LOL used by native french people. Expressions like ‘Haha, Hehe, Hihih’ are also used commonly. Some people also use ‘PTDR’ which means broken with laughter.
Dutch
Term used: Ghaghaghagha
People from the Netherlands type laughter as “Ghaghagha”, by adding a ‘g’ before “Haha”. It sounds similar to “kh” of Arabic.
Japanese
Term used: www
Yes, we know it stands for World Wide Web! But here, it is quite similar to LOL Theoretically, w stands for “warai” which is the Japanese word for ‘laugh’. So, if the joke gets funnier, add more w’s.
Thai
Term used: 555
Well, yes you are guessing it right. In the Thai language, 555 = Hahaha, because 5 sounds like ‘Ha’. So don’t hesitate to add more 5’s if you are ‘dying of laughter’.
Korean
Terms used: kkk, Kekeke
For Koreans, ‘k’ holds the same meaning as ‘ha’. So now you know how to talk with your friends who are into K-dramas!
Spanish
Terms used: Jajaja
No, ‘Jajaja’ is not a typo for ‘Hahaha’, it is actually an alternative. Obviously, the j in ‘Jajaja’ has to be pronounced like the j in ‘Jose’. Use this type of laughter while chatting with your Spanish friends, thank us later!
Danish
Terms used: hæhæ, hi hi, ha ha, ti hi, ho ho
In Denmark, people have multiple ways of expressing laughter. Some also use customary phrases like ‘ha ha’ and ‘hi hi’.
Portuguese
Terms used: kkkk, huehuehue, rsrsrsRiscs, the Portuguese word for ‘laughters’, is abbreviated as ‘rs’. This explains the existence of this phrase. Want to look cool in front of your Portuguese friends? Try using these phrases online!
Indonesian
Term used: wkwkwkwk
Just like other languages, ‘wkwkwk’ means ‘Laugh out loud’ in the Indonesian language. Beware of the consequences if you reply to someone with ‘wkwkwk’ in a serious situation!
Italian
Term used: ah ah ah
The Italians have quite an interesting way of typing their laughter. Instead of ‘a’ after the ‘h’ like in English, native Italians type it as ‘a’ after the ‘h’ with spaces in between.
Chinese
Terms used: xiào, shēng, xixi, Hei hei, 23333
This will make it easier for all those who find it difficult to read the Mandarin script. Chinese people use ‘233’ as a replacement for LOL.
Why couldn’t the bike stand on its own? Because it was two tired….233333:)
Turkish
Terms used: kdkdkdkdkd, sjsjsjsjsjsh, asdfasdfadf
The Turks have many ways of typing laughter, but the most common ones are ‘kdkdkdkdkd, sjsjsjsjsjsh, asdfasdfadf’. They type random alphabets which mean ‘Laughing so hard’ or ‘I fell on the keyboard’.
Jamaican
Term used: dwl
People in Jamaica use ‘dwl’ which means ‘Dead with laughter’. Dramatic, right? But yea it is true.
English
Terms used: Lol, LMAO, ROFL, Hahaha, Hehehe, etc.
There are endless ways to explain how people laugh online in English. With the millennial lingo making rounds currently, we have way too many ways to react to hysterical posts.
Still falling short of words? Well, we always have emojis, you know?
If you liked reading this, you will love: Ever Wondered Why The English Language Has Words From So Many Languages?
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