1.
laughter; sound of laughing
The audible sound of someone laughing. Focuses on the sound itself rather than the act of laughing.
A compound of 笑い (laughing) and 声 (voice/sound), where 声 becomes 声 through rendaku. This word emphasizes the audible aspect of laughter — what you hear — rather than the facial expression or the act of laughing itself.
Common collocations
- 笑い声が聞こえる: to hear laughter
- 笑い声が響く: laughter echoes/rings out
- 笑い声を上げる: to raise a laugh, to burst out laughing
- 大きな笑い声: loud laughter
- 笑い声が止まらない: can't stop laughing
Similar words
- 笑い: laughter, a laugh — the act or fact of laughing, broader than the sound
- 哄笑: roar of laughter — literary, describing loud group laughter
- 微笑: smile — visual rather than audible
Related patterns
The ～声 pattern creates many sound-related nouns: 泣き声 (crying sound), 叫び声 (shout), 話し声 (speaking voice).