Summary: Kusa (草) literally means “grass,” but in Japanese internet slang, it means “LOL” or “haha.” It is derived from the letter “w” (short for warau, to laugh), which looks like blades of grass when typed repeatedly (www).
If you spend any time on Japanese social media, YouTube comments, or gaming streams, you will inevitably encounter the character 草 (pronounced kusa) or strings of the letter w. While they look like simple botanical references or typos to the uninitiated, they are the backbone of Japanese digital laughter.
The Evolution: From ‘Warau’ to ‘w’
The journey of this slang began with the Japanese verb warau (笑う), which means “to laugh.” In the early days of Japanese internet forums like 2channel, users began shortening warau to just its first letter: (w. Over time, the parentheses were dropped, and people began typing w or ww to indicate laughter, much like “lol” or “haha” in English.
As the laughter grew more intense, so did the number of letters. A massive laugh became wwwwwwww. To the eyes of Japanese netizens, these long strings of “w” resembled blades of grass growing in a field. This visual similarity led to people typing the kanji for grass, 草 (kusa), instead of the letter “w.”
How to Use Kusa and w Correctly
In modern Japanese slang, kusa and w are used almost exclusively in text-based communication. While kusa has become so popular that some younger people say it out loud in casual conversation, it remains primarily a digital term. Much like What Does ‘Yabai’ Mean?, it is highly versatile but strictly informal.
A: Did you see the cat fall off the TV in that video?
B: Yeah, kusa (草). It was so clumsy.
Degrees of Kusa
- w: A simple chuckle.
- www: A genuine laugh.
- 草 (Kusa): LOL.
- 大草原 (Daisougen): Literally “a great prairie.” Use this when something is so funny it creates an entire field of grass.
- 草生える (Kusa-haeru): Literally “grass is growing,” meaning “that makes me laugh.”
Editor’s Pro-Tip: Never use kusa or w in a professional email or with your superiors! It is considered very casual and can even be seen as mocking or cynical if used in the wrong context. In polite settings, stick to the standard (笑) or simply describe that you found something funny.
Kusa in Fandom and Gaming Culture
Within the world of Oshi culture, kusa is the standard reaction to a streamer’s mistake or a funny moment during a live broadcast. On platforms like Nico Nico Douga or YouTube Live, the screen might be completely covered in “草” or “www” during a hilarious segment—a phenomenon known as danmaku (barrage).
Interestingly, kusa is often used when something is funny in a slightly ridiculous, weird, or ironic way. If something is genuinely heartwarming, Japanese users are less likely to use kusa and more likely to use traditional emojis or polite laughter.
Conclusion
Understanding kusa is like unlocking a secret level of Japanese internet fluency. Whether you are typing a quick w to a friend or reacting to a viral video with a 草, you are participating in a unique visual evolution of language. Just remember to keep the grass in the digital world and out of your business meetings!
