にっこり

also: にこり

に

っ

こ

り

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

にっこりする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

with a sweet smile; with a broad grin

Describes a cheerful, gentle, or pleasant smile, often used with verbs like 笑う or 微笑む. The geminate っ adds a sense of a sudden, bright smile.

〈人ひと〉ににっこり(と)微笑ほほえむto smile warmly at someone
彼かの女じょは私わたしににっこりと微笑ほほえんだ。
She gave me a sweet smile.
顔かおににっこり(と)笑えみを浮うかべるa bright smile appears on one's face
彼かれはその知しらせを聞きいて、顔かおににっこりと笑えみを浮うかべた。
He broke into a broad smile at the news.

ニコニコN3
ニコニコ describes a continuous, beaming smile, while にっこり emphasizes a single, sudden, bright smile.
ニヤリN1
にこり is a warm, innocent smile, whereas ニヤリ carries a sly or knowing, sometimes mischievous or scornful, edge.

にやにやN3
にやにや sounds similar to にっこり but describes a sly, smirking grin rather than にっこり's warm, cheerful smile.
ニヤリN1
にっこり is a bright, friendly smile, easily confused with ニヤリ by sound, but ニヤリ implies slyness or hidden intent rather than warmth.

にっこりUsage69%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic adverb.
ニッコリUsage16%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
にこりUsage9%
Less common variant without the geminate consonant; may appear in older or literary texts.
ニコリUsage6%
Katakana variant of the rare form にこり.

Onomatopoeic or mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it is likely derived from the sound or appearance of a smiling face.