Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "笑います" vs "おわる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
笑います
わらいます (waraimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
おわる
おわる (owaru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 笑います and おわる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
笑います (わらいます (waraimasu)) represents "to laugh, to smile" (Level: N5) and typically represents Verb, polite form. Refers to the act of laughing or smiling. The dictionary form is 笑う.
On the other hand, おわる (おわる (owaru)) translates to "to finish, to end (intransitive)" (Level: N5) and is used for Intransitive verb. Something finishes by itself. The transitive form is 「終える. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "笑います"
彼女はいつも笑顔で笑います。
She always laughs with a smile.
Bilingual Sentence for "おわる"
会議は5時に終わります。
The meeting ends at 5 o'clock.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "彼女はいつも笑顔で ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "She always laughs with a smile.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "笑います" fits here because it represents "to laugh, to smile" in the context: "She always laughs with a smile.".