<p>check the table. This picture says everything.
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/e1s1P.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T13:55:57.913Z
IMO, this is the best answer! I think these words literally captures the sound of different kinds of laughter. I wouldn't be surprised if their equivalents exist in other languages.
Thomas Hsieh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T14:20:40.293Z
@ThomasHsieh Absolutely, these words called 拟声词，simulate sounds， 喵（mew），汪汪（dog）
sfy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-15T14:40:10.837Z
拟声词 = onomatopoeia
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T06:58:00.470Z
2015-04-22T06:58:00.470Z
sfy
<p>I'm taking my answer primarily from <a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=xae3NPcYPevHHdcWcwd1gQ7PU5vl2TYxgv5EJqi3jIC6GOL7cojkABS2c37e_xUK_CC5fkcxpcoegKUgYKwNL_" rel="noreferrer">this 百度知道 post</a>.</p>
<h1>呵呵</h1>
<p><em>Hehe</em> is the most general laugh, indicating perhaps just a smile. Its meaning is the most vague and in some situations can imply an embarrassed, self mocking, or even sarcastic laugh.</p>
<p><em>（Update: note the added caution that @shellbye gives in his answer about the meaning of this one. I suggest you keep observing its usage before using it too freely yourself.)</em></p>
<h1>哈哈</h1>
<p><em>Haha</em> has the clearest meaning. It's a great big happy laugh.</p>
<h1>嘻嘻</h1>
<p><em>Xixi</em> is mostly (but not exclusively) used by females and conveys a sense of mischievousness and lightheartedness. In certain situations it can even have an air of 撒娇. <em>Xixi</em> is perhaps something like &quot;hee hee&quot; in English. (I spell it &quot;hee hee&quot; and not &quot;he he&quot; so as not to confuse it with 呵呵.)</p>
<h1>嘿嘿</h1>
<p><em>Heihei</em> is a mischievous or cunning laugh and is used more by males. It can also be an honest laugh, though, too.</p>
<p><strong>Other links</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=ZW_3HcTu-5pxDc1tPX_QpZmCQ4ViKRutMx1VvXILIy75xNB2UVg-9FSm_SFXBhMhKTswgfBfLynzTSXL0pcqka" rel="noreferrer">呵呵 嘻嘻 哈哈 什么意思</a> (amusing example)</li>
<li><a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=JeZHmVQ7lLqYGTWRQq7Qym1eA1PawG0q1I1xLqjBhwu5tH--bobqpEdp6bFiDTUgLPN48SECLFnNyl6UEY8M0q" rel="noreferrer">哦呵呵和哈哈 嘻嘻意思一样吗？</a></li>
<li><a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/82210930.html?qbl=relate_question_0&amp;word=%B9%FE%B9%FE%BA%C7%BA%C7%CE%FB%CE%FB%BA%D9%BA%D9" rel="noreferrer">呵呵好还是哈哈好还是嘿嘿好还是嘻嘻好？</a> (longer explanation)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T03:29:05.123Z
When I see a top rated answer quotes from zhidao.baidu.com, I'd say hehe. See the Kim Jong-un picture and panda bear picture in the other answer.
user3528438
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T03:34:19.723Z
2015-04-22T16:15:13.290Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Suragch
<p>"呵呵" means something different in online chat.</p>

<p>At first, "呵呵" is as simple as "哈哈"，“嘿嘿” when I even used it a lot in online chat. </p>

<p>Then, "呵呵" become the best choice when you do not know how to reply to someone's message. So this is where things goes wrong about "呵呵". When someone keep talking to you, and you reply nothing meaningful but "呵呵", sooner or later, he or she become boring about the words.</p>

<p>At last, a picture changed everything. It show below:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ir29v.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Ever since the picture got famous on Internet, people stop using it as its usual meaning but means something different. Sometime it's a joke, sometime it is offensive.</p>

<p>By the way, "呵呵" was the top 1 of of "the most hurting words in online chat of 2014". Full list shows below:</p>

<p>1.呵呵</p>

<p>2.哦</p>

<p>3.嗯</p>

<p>4.对不起，我去洗澡了/吃饭了，回聊</p>

<p>5.有意思吗？</p>

<p>6.随便</p>

<p>7.纯表情</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T06:30:46.523Z
2015-04-22T06:30:46.523Z
shellbye
<p>Since you mentioned Wechat and QQ in the question, I'd say in a normal chat, there is no significant difference among 哈哈, 嘻嘻 and 嘿嘿. Normally when you chat online, your partner express his/her happiness via these words. Suragch gave a nice explanation of these words.</p>

<p>But 呵呵 is something different. I mean there are some implicit meanings recently. When you chat with Chinese young people, you may want to know the implicit meaning. 呵呵 = Well...OK/WTF. It really depends.</p>

<p>For example, your close friend showed off something to you but you think it makes no sense or is stupid. Here you can reply 呵呵。By replying 呵呵, your friend understands your thought and it won't cause any bad effect to your friendship. </p>

<p>Here is a simple conversation for you to understand:</p>

<p>A: 知道吗，我用手纸做了一个金字塔。</p>

<p>B: 呵呵。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T04:23:05.627Z
2015-04-22T04:23:05.627Z
FortCpp
<p>How about some emoji?</p>

<p>哈哈 </p>

<p>呵呵 </p>

<p>嘻嘻 </p>

<p>嘿嘿 </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-10T14:15:14.853Z
2018-08-10T14:15:14.853Z
NoobTW
<p>They all means laugh, however, '呵呵' has changed this days, especially on the internet, when people say '呵呵', it usually means something is stupid, disgusting or stubborn. But it's not always like this, still depends on the context. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-02T13:13:26.723Z
2017-07-02T13:13:26.723Z
Fangxing
<p>All four of them can be used for laughs without connotations. But in certain cases these words can convey rich and subtle meanings.</p>
<p>哈哈 general, delighted laugh</p>
<p>呵呵 ironic, cynical sneer</p>
<p>嘻嘻 smug, provocative smile</p>
<p>嘿嘿 silly, sheepish grin</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-18T19:12:34.227Z
2022-11-18T19:12:34.227Z
user
<p>all of those are onomatopoeias</p>

<p>actually the meanings vary a lot if you speak a different dialect.</p>

<p>for example 嘻嘻 is /xixi/ in mandarin, /hihi/ in Minnan, /heihei/ in Cantonese.</p>

<p>if you are used to 嘻嘻 in mandarin and you read a comic book from hongkong, you'll wonder why those handsome masculine protagonists /xixi/ like a girl who falls in love the first time while actually the author means a cheeky /heihei/.</p>

<p>This is only one example, but if you look at the news papers or daily languages in regions of different dialects, the way they use onomatopoeias are fundamentally different.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-22T11:38:41.317Z
2018-08-22T11:38:41.317Z
Xiaoxiong Lin
<p>The 4 are onomatopoeia words on the sliding scale of distance between the upper and lower teeth from haha(widest open mouth, to hehe(slightly smaller mouth opening), to hei hei (narrow mouth opening), xixi or heehee (narrowest mouth opening). Wider mouth opening corresponds to a hearty laugh, the narrower the mouth opening, the more reserved is the attitude, with hei hei is bit cunning and heehee even more so or a bit feminine as ladies act more reserved</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-25T18:22:50.950Z
2023-07-25T18:22:50.950Z
Geoffrey Chang
<p>哈哈，is used when we are very happy.呵呵，is used when we feel embarrassed or don't want to talk anymore. 嘻嘻，when you
smile archly. 嘿嘿， when you feel shy. 哇哈哈哈，when you feel very happy.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-15T11:37:16.030Z
Not sure why you posted two answers, can you merge them please?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-15T14:46:54.753Z
@user3306356 Aren't you, the mod, able to do it?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-15T16:18:51.763Z
@Blaszard Better to get people to know what to do and how to do it, without the mods getting involved all the time.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-22T02:49:56.203Z
@user3306356 Sorry, I'm new user. How could i merge them together?
Bei Jiang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-15T09:45:31.980Z
2018-08-22T02:50:59.253Z
2018-08-22T02:50:59.253Z
Bei Jiang
<p>I always see 哈哈, 呵呵, 嘻嘻, and 嘿嘿 in WeChat, QQ, etc, but I don't really understand the subtle differences between them and when to use them appropriately, especially 呵呵. I use 呵呵 myself now, but I'm not sure I'm using it correctly. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-26T12:30:30.657Z
最早呵呵在聊天中确实是表示笑的意思，但是在10或者11年之后，呵呵逐渐被一部分人当作表达嘲讽、不屑或者愤怒的网络语言使用。虽然一般根据上下文可以分辨使用者的意思，但聊天时最好还是避免使用呵呵。
xdcsy
<meaning><difference>
What is the difference between 哈哈, 呵呵, 嘻嘻, and 嘿嘿?
# What is the difference between 哈哈, 呵呵, 嘻嘻, and 嘿嘿?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-22)

I always see 哈哈, 呵呵, 嘻嘻, and 嘿嘿 in WeChat, QQ, etc, but I don't really understand the subtle differences between them and when to use them appropriately, especially 呵呵. I use 呵呵 myself now, but I'm not sure I'm using it correctly.

**Tags:** meaning, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 最早呵呵在聊天中确实是表示笑的意思，但是在10或者11年之后，呵呵逐渐被一部分人当作表达嘲讽、不屑或者愤怒的网络语言使用。虽然一般根据上下文可以分辨使用者的意思，但聊天时最好还是避免使用呵呵。  

---

## 10 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-04-22. Score: 28

check the table. This picture says everything.
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/e1s1P.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: IMO, this is the best answer! I think these words literally captures the sound of different kinds of laughter. I wouldn't be surprised if their equivalents exist in other languages.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Absolutely, these words called 拟声词，simulate sounds， 喵（mew），汪汪（dog）  
> **username_4**: 拟声词 = onomatopoeia  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2015-04-22. Score: 18

I'm taking my answer primarily from [this 百度知道 post](http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=xae3NPcYPevHHdcWcwd1gQ7PU5vl2TYxgv5EJqi3jIC6GOL7cojkABS2c37e_xUK_CC5fkcxpcoegKUgYKwNL_).

# 呵呵

*Hehe* is the most general laugh, indicating perhaps just a smile. Its meaning is the most vague and in some situations can imply an embarrassed, self mocking, or even sarcastic laugh.

*（Update: note the added caution that @username_6 gives in his answer about the meaning of this one. I suggest you keep observing its usage before using it too freely yourself.)*

# 哈哈

*Haha* has the clearest meaning. It's a great big happy laugh.

# 嘻嘻

*Xixi* is mostly (but not exclusively) used by females and conveys a sense of mischievousness and lightheartedness. In certain situations it can even have an air of 撒娇. *Xixi* is perhaps something like "hee hee" in English. (I spell it "hee hee" and not "he he" so as not to confuse it with 呵呵.)

# 嘿嘿

*Heihei* is a mischievous or cunning laugh and is used more by males. It can also be an honest laugh, though, too.

**Other links**

* [呵呵 嘻嘻 哈哈 什么意思](http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=ZW_3HcTu-5pxDc1tPX_QpZmCQ4ViKRutMx1VvXILIy75xNB2UVg-9FSm_SFXBhMhKTswgfBfLynzTSXL0pcqka) (amusing example)
* [哦呵呵和哈哈 嘻嘻意思一样吗？](http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=JeZHmVQ7lLqYGTWRQq7Qym1eA1PawG0q1I1xLqjBhwu5tH--bobqpEdp6bFiDTUgLPN48SECLFnNyl6UEY8M0q)
* [呵呵好还是哈哈好还是嘿嘿好还是嘻嘻好？](http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/82210930.html?qbl=relate_question_0&word=%B9%FE%B9%FE%BA%C7%BA%C7%CE%FB%CE%FB%BA%D9%BA%D9) (longer explanation)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: When I see a top rated answer quotes from zhidao.baidu.com, I'd say hehe. See the Kim Jong-un picture and panda bear picture in the other answer.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-04-22. Score: 7

"呵呵" means something different in online chat.

At first, "呵呵" is as simple as "哈哈"，“嘿嘿” when I even used it a lot in online chat.

Then, "呵呵" become the best choice when you do not know how to reply to someone's message. So this is where things goes wrong about "呵呵". When someone keep talking to you, and you reply nothing meaningful but "呵呵", sooner or later, he or she become boring about the words.

At last, a picture changed everything. It show below:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ir29v.jpg)

Ever since the picture got famous on Internet, people stop using it as its usual meaning but means something different. Sometime it's a joke, sometime it is offensive.

By the way, "呵呵" was the top 1 of of "the most hurting words in online chat of 2014". Full list shows below:

1.呵呵

2.哦

3.嗯

4.对不起，我去洗澡了/吃饭了，回聊

5.有意思吗？

6.随便

7.纯表情


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-04-22. Score: 2

Since you mentioned Wechat and QQ in the question, I'd say in a normal chat, there is no significant difference among 哈哈, 嘻嘻 and 嘿嘿. Normally when you chat online, your partner express his/her happiness via these words. username_0 gave a nice explanation of these words.

But 呵呵 is something different. I mean there are some implicit meanings recently. When you chat with Chinese young people, you may want to know the implicit meaning. 呵呵 = Well...OK/WTF. It really depends.

For example, your close friend showed off something to you but you think it makes no sense or is stupid. Here you can reply 呵呵。By replying 呵呵, your friend understands your thought and it won't cause any bad effect to your friendship.

Here is a simple conversation for you to understand:

A: 知道吗，我用手纸做了一个金字塔。

B: 呵呵。


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2018-08-10. Score: 1

How about some emoji?

哈哈

呵呵

嘻嘻

嘿嘿


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2017-07-02. Score: 1

They all means laugh, however, '呵呵' has changed this days, especially on the internet, when people say '呵呵', it usually means something is stupid, disgusting or stubborn. But it's not always like this, still depends on the context.


---

### Answer by username_10 on 2022-11-18. Score: 1

All four of them can be used for laughs without connotations. But in certain cases these words can convey rich and subtle meanings.

哈哈 general, delighted laugh

呵呵 ironic, cynical sneer

嘻嘻 smug, provocative smile

嘿嘿 silly, sheepish grin


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2018-08-22. Score: 1

all of those are onomatopoeias

actually the meanings vary a lot if you speak a different dialect.

for example 嘻嘻 is /xixi/ in mandarin, /hihi/ in Minnan, /heihei/ in Cantonese.

if you are used to 嘻嘻 in mandarin and you read a comic book from hongkong, you'll wonder why those handsome masculine protagonists /xixi/ like a girl who falls in love the first time while actually the author means a cheeky /heihei/.

This is only one example, but if you look at the news papers or daily languages in regions of different dialects, the way they use onomatopoeias are fundamentally different.


---

### Answer by username_12 on 2023-07-25. Score: 1

The 4 are onomatopoeia words on the sliding scale of distance between the upper and lower teeth from haha(widest open mouth, to hehe(slightly smaller mouth opening), to hei hei (narrow mouth opening), xixi or heehee (narrowest mouth opening). Wider mouth opening corresponds to a hearty laugh, the narrower the mouth opening, the more reserved is the attitude, with hei hei is bit cunning and heehee even more so or a bit feminine as ladies act more reserved


---

### Answer by username_13 on 2018-08-15. Score: 0

哈哈，is used when we are very happy.呵呵，is used when we feel embarrassed or don't want to talk anymore. 嘻嘻，when you
smile archly. 嘿嘿， when you feel shy. 哇哈哈哈，when you feel very happy.

> **Comments:**
> **username_14**: Not sure why you posted two answers, can you merge them please?  
> **username_15**: @user3306356 Aren't you, the mod, able to do it?  
> **username_14**: @username_15 Better to get people to know what to do and how to do it, without the mods getting involved all the time.  
> **username_13**: @user3306356 Sorry, I'm new user. How could i merge them together?  

---

