にっこり
にっこり
adverb, suru-verb
with a smile, smilingly
1.
with a smile, smilingly, beaming
Smiling sweetly or warmly, typically showing a gentle, pleasant expression.
彼女はにっこり笑った。
She smiled sweetly.
にっこり笑う = to smile warmly
赤ちゃんがにっこりした。
The baby smiled.
にっこりと挨拶してくれた。
They greeted me with a smile.
プレゼントを渡したら、子供がにっこりと笑って「ありがとう」と言った。
When I gave the present, the child smiled warmly and said "thank you."
写真を撮るとき、みんなにっこりしてカメラを見た。
When taking the photo, everyone smiled and looked at the camera.
USAGE: にっこり is an onomatopoeic expression describing a warm, gentle smile. It suggests a pleasant, friendly expression.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- にっこり笑う (to smile warmly)
- にっこりする (to smile)
- にっこりと (smilingly - adverbial form with と)
RELATED EXPRESSIONS:
- にこにこ - smiling continuously, beaming (repetitive form suggests ongoing action)
- にやにや - grinning, smirking (slightly negative nuance)
- にたにた - grinning (often unpleasant)
- にんまり - smiling with satisfaction
NUANCE: にっこり describes a single, momentary smile, while にこにこ describes continuously smiling or having a cheerful expression.
Related Words
Related:
笑う (to laugh, smile)