Summary: What is Kusa-hayashiteru?
‘Kusa-hayashiteru’ (草生やしてる) is a popular piece of Japanese internet slang that translates literally to ‘growing grass.’ In Japanese online culture, the character ‘w’ is used to represent laughter (like ‘lol’). Because a long string of ‘w’ characters looks like blades of grass, users started calling it ‘kusa’ (grass) or saying they are ‘growing grass’ (kusa-hayashiteru) when something is hilarious.
In the digital landscape of Japan, expressing amusement has evolved far beyond standard punctuation. While English speakers use ‘LOL’ or ‘LMAO,’ Japanese netizens have adopted the letter ‘w’—an abbreviation of warau, the Japanese verb for ‘to laugh.’ When a situation is extremely funny, users type a long string of ‘w’s (e.g., ‘wwwwwwww’). To an observer, these vertical lines resemble grass on a field, leading to the slang term kusa (grass). ‘Kusa-hayashiteru’ is the act of typing these strings.
The Etymology of Internet Flora
The term originated on the anonymous message board 2channel (now 5channel). Early users noted the visual similarity between ‘w’ strings and weeds, leading to the phrase kusa ga haeru (grass is growing). Over time, this evolved into kusa-hayashiteru, which functions similarly to saying, ‘I am laughing so hard that I’m covering my screen in grass.’
Scenario 1: Gaming Chat
Player A: ‘I just accidentally walked off the cliff in the final round.’
Player B: ‘Kusa-hayashiteru! That was the worst play I’ve ever seen.’
Scenario 2: Social Media Comments
User A: ‘Check out this video of a cat failing to jump onto the sofa.’
User B: ‘Kusa. The way he just slides off is too funny.’
Nuance and Usage
It is important to note that kusa-hayashiteru is strictly casual. While Gachi-de is used to express sincerity, kusa represents a detached, ironic, or high-energy form of internet amusement. It is often used in response to absurd content or epic fails.
Scenario 3: Group Chat
Friend A: ‘Did you see the professor trip over his own projector cord?’
Friend B: ‘Yeah, I was kusa-hayashiteru for like five minutes straight.’
Scenario 4: Texting
A: ‘I tried to cook dinner but ended up setting off the smoke alarm.’
B: ‘LOL, kusa.’
Common Mistakes
Beginners often misuse the term by applying it to face-to-face conversations. Unlike other slang that might transition to speech, ‘kusa-hayashiteru’ is almost exclusively a written, digital phenomenon. Using it in a formal setting, such as with your boss, would be considered highly inappropriate. For professional contexts, remember to maintain the proper etiquette, perhaps by referencing Meishi exchange protocols instead of using internet slang.
Pro-tips for Using Slang
1. Context matters: Only use ‘kusa’ in gaming, social media, or casual messaging with close friends.
2. Don’t overdo it: A single ‘kusa’ is usually enough. Repeating it too often can feel forced.
3. Evolution: If you see someone typing ‘daisougen’ (big meadow/grassland), it means they find it even funnier than just ‘kusa.’
