Four kinds of happy
Before looking at sentences, it helps to see the four words side by side. Each answers a slightly different question: what happened to you, what was the experience like, how is your life, and how did things turn out.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うれしい | ureshii | Glad, pleased: a reaction to something that happened |
| 楽しい | tanoshii | Fun, enjoyable: describing an experience |
| 幸せ | shiawase | Happy in a deeper or lasting way, content |
| よかった | yokatta | I am glad, what a relief, that turned out well |
Ureshii: when something good happens
Ureshii is the word for receiving a present, hearing good news, being invited or seeing someone you missed. It is often connected to a cause with the te form, which makes the sentence sound complete and warm.
It is also how you thank people emotionally. Telling someone you are ureshii that they came says more than a plain thank you.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| プレゼント、うれしい！ | Purezento, ureshii! | A present! I am so happy! |
| 会えてうれしいです。 | Aete ureshii desu. | I am happy to see you. |
| 来てくれてうれしい。 | Kite kurete ureshii. | I am glad you came. |
| 合格できてうれしいです。 | Gōkaku dekite ureshii desu. | I am happy I passed. |
| そう言ってもらえるとうれしいです。 | Sō itte moraeru to ureshii desu. | It makes me happy to hear you say that. |
Tanoshii: the experience itself
Tanoshii describes activities, events, trips, classes and time spent with people. The past form tanoshikatta is what you say after a party, a holiday or a day out, and it is one of the most useful thank-you lines in social Japanese.
Its noun form, tanoshimi, gives you the expression for looking forward to something, which is used constantly in both casual and business settings.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は楽しかったです。 | Kyō wa tanoshikatta desu. | I had a great time today. |
| 日本語の勉強は楽しいです。 | Nihongo no benkyō wa tanoshii desu. | Studying Japanese is fun. |
| 楽しみにしています。 | Tanoshimi ni shite imasu. | I am looking forward to it. |
| 旅行、楽しんでね。 | Ryokō, tanoshinde ne. | Enjoy your trip. |
Shiawase and yokatta
Shiawase describes a fuller happiness: a good relationship, a peaceful life, a perfect moment. It can be serious, as in wishing newlyweds happiness, or light, as when someone takes a bite of cake and sighs shiawase.
Yokatta is the happy that comes with relief. It is what you say when a friend's exam went well, when someone arrives safely, or when a problem resolves. It is also the natural way to be happy for another person.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今、とても幸せです。 | Ima, totemo shiawase desu. | I am very happy right now. |
| 幸せな時間でした。 | Shiawase na jikan deshita. | It was a happy time. |
| お幸せに。 | O-shiawase ni. | I wish you happiness. (to a couple) |
| よかったですね。 | Yokatta desu ne. | I am so glad for you. |
| 無事でよかった。 | Buji de yokatta. | I am glad you are safe. |
| 間に合ってよかった。 | Ma ni atte yokatta. | Thank goodness we made it in time. |
Talking about someone else's happiness
Japanese treats feelings as private. You can state your own directly, but for other people you describe what you observe, what they said, or use a verb that shows the feeling from outside.
The sō ending means looks or seems, and it attaches to the adjective stem. The verb yorokobu, to be pleased or delighted, describes someone else's reaction. Both sound natural where a bare ureshii would not.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うれしそうですね。 | Ureshisō desu ne. | You look happy. |
| 楽しそうだね。 | Tanoshisō da ne. | That sounds like fun. |
| 母はとても喜んでいました。 | Haha wa totemo yorokonde imashita. | My mother was delighted. |
| 彼女は幸せそうです。 | Kanojo wa shiawasesō desu. | She seems happy. |
| うれしいと言っていました。 | Ureshii to itte imashita. | She said she was happy. |
Birthdays, the new year and congratulations
The greetings English builds on happy use omedetō, congratulations, in Japanese. The word itself changes with politeness but not with the occasion.
Before the new year, people wish each other a good year instead of saying congratulations, which is only used once the year has started. Written birthday and celebration messages have their own conventions, covered in the guide to birthday and congratulation messages.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 誕生日おめでとう。 | Tanjōbi omedetō. | Happy birthday. (casual) |
| お誕生日おめでとうございます。 | O-tanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu. | Happy birthday. (polite) |
| あけましておめでとうございます。 | Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu. | Happy new year. (from 1 January) |
| よいお年を。 | Yoi o-toshi o. | Have a good new year. (before 1 January) |
Choosing the word in the moment
The choice becomes quick once you connect each word to a type of moment. Use this table as a reference, then practise saying the lines until the connection is automatic.
| The moment | Word to use | Example meaning |
|---|---|---|
| You receive a gift or good news | Ureshii | I am so pleased |
| You leave a party or finish a trip | Tanoshikatta | I had a great time |
| A calm, content moment or great food | Shiawase | This is bliss |
| A friend shares their good result | Yokatta desu ne | I am so glad for you |
| You describe a friend's reaction | Ureshisō or yorokonde ita | She looked happy |
| Someone's birthday | Omedetō | Congratulations |
The corrections in Unihongo's session reports come from what you actually said, which is where a feeling word used about someone else without sō tends to surface: one of the most common errors that native speakers notice and rarely correct.