微笑ほほえむ

ほ

え

む

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

A gentle, soft smile, often with the mouth closed. Used for warm, quiet, or slightly emotional smiles.

微笑むUsage63%
- ほほえむ
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
- ほおえむ
ほほえむUsage28%
Kana spelling; common in informal writing or when the kanji is not needed.
ほほ笑えむUsage8%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in normal writing.
ほおえむUsage<1%
頬笑むUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
- ほほえむ
  Rarely used kanji form; 微笑む is strongly preferred.
- ほおえむ

笑わらう
笑う is a broader term for laughing or smiling, often with sound or a wider grin. 微笑む is specifically a soft, quiet smile.
にこにこ
にこにこ is an adverb describing a cheerful, beaming smile, often more overtly happy than the gentle 微笑む.

Compound of 頬 (hoho, 'cheek') + 笑む (emu, 'to smile'). The reading ほほえむ is a shift from ほおえむ.