• Basic forms
• 笑う — to laugh; to smile / base form
• 笑います — laugh; smile / masu form
• 笑った — laughed; smiled / ta form
• 笑って — laugh and …; smiling and … / te-form
• 笑わない — do not laugh / negative
• 笑えば — if (someone) laughs / conditional
• 笑え — laugh! / imperative
• Common uses
• 声を出して笑う — to laugh out loud
• 思わず笑った — laughed without thinking
• 冗談で笑う — laugh at a joke
• More
• 笑いたい — want to laugh / 〜たい form
• 笑おう — let’s laugh / 〜よう form
• 笑っている — is laughing; is smiling / progressive

笑う（わらう） is a godan verb meaning “to laugh” or “to smile” in a general, everyday sense.

There is also the verb 笑えむ（えむ), which means “to smile gently.” Unlike 笑う, 笑む is more literary and describes a quiet or subtle expression rather than audible laughter.