If you go to Japan, hopefully you will experience a lot of happy times during your visit! But how would you express this happiness in Japanese conversations?
The two most common ways to say ‘happy’ in Japanese are ureshii (嬉しい / うれしい) and shiawase (幸せ / しあわせ). Generally, ureshii describes that temporary feeling of joy you experience when something good happens, while shiawase describes a more general state of happiness.
But depending on the situation in which you are speaking and the type of happiness you want to describe, there are several different words you can opt for when you want to say ‘happy’ in Japanese.
Smile! Let’s take a look:
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Ureshii
嬉しい
Happy, glad
Ureshii (嬉しい / うれしい) is the most versatile, commonly used option for when you want to express happiness in Japanese. It describes that sudden joy you feel when something pleasant occurs.
It can be used in a range of different situations – from casual conversations with friends to higher-ups and elders alike.
Other than ‘happy’, ureshii can also be translated to ‘glad’ or ‘delighted’.
Ureshii! by itself, said as an exclamation, can mean ‘I’m so happy!’ or ‘I’m glad!’. It’s an appropriate response when you hear some good news or receive a surprise gift.
Shiawase
幸せ
Happy, happiness, contentment
Shiawase (幸せ / しあわせ) is another frequently used term to say ‘I’m happy’ in Japanese. However, unlike ureshii which represents a temporary feeling of joy, the nuance of shiawase suggests a content, almost deeper state of happiness.
For example, when you finally get comfy on the sofa to relax after a long day at work you may feel aah, shiawase!
Shiawase can also be said in various situations whether it be with friends/family or even in more polite situations.
Shiawase is a noun that also functions as a na-adjective.
Happii
ハッピー
Happy
Luckily enough, the English word ‘happy’ is such a universal term that Japanese people have even adopted it into their own language! Happii (ハッピー / はっぴー), as indicated by the use of katakana characters, is the Japanese loan word for ‘happy’!
Happii tends to be used by the younger generations, and it is more casual in feel. You can use this word with close friends in place of ureshii.
It’s also used in set phrases borrowed from English, such as:
- Happii basudee (ハッピーバースデー) – Happy Birthday
- Happii harowin (ハッピーハロウィン) – Happy Halloween
- Happii endo (ハッピーエンド) – happy ending
- Happii setto (ハッピーセット) – Happy Meal (McDonalds)
Yorokobu
喜ぶ
To be happy; to be delighted
While the last three terms were all adjectives to describe the feeling of ‘happiness’, yorokobu (喜ぶ / よろこぶ) is actually a verb!
It translates as ‘to be pleased’ or ‘to be glad’. It can be used by itself to simply say ‘I am happy’, although, it is pretty common to see it used in conjunction with other verbs.
In this case, we use the te (て) form of yorokobu to connect it with the second verb.
Example:
Watashi wa yorokonde tetsudaimasu
私は喜んで手伝います
わたしはよろこんでてつだいます
I would be happy to help you.
Koufuku
幸福
Happiness
You may have noticed that the kanji from shiawase (幸せ) is found as part of koufuku (幸福 / こうふく). The second kanji 福 means ‘blessing’ or ‘fortune’.
The utterance as a whole conveys a deep happiness/joy, quite similar to shiawase. Having said that, this form of the word is more often than not used in situations of greater formality.
Manzoku
満足
Satisfaction
Although, it’s not as directly translated as ‘happy’ like the previous terms, manzoku (満足 / まんぞく) can be said in order to signify happiness in the form of contentment or satisfaction.
Example:
Kanojo wa atarashii doresu ni manzoku desu
彼女は新しいドレスに満足です
かのじょはあたらしいどれすにまんぞくです
She is happy with her new dress.
Tanoshii
楽しい
Fun
Even though tanoshii (楽しい / たのしい) is generally translated as ‘fun’, it also holds the meanings ‘enjoyable’ and ‘happy’.
You can use it to describe happy times and/or experiences as it is an overall positive expression!
Example:
Tomodachi to issho ni irutoki, tanoshii kibun ni naru
友達と一緒にいる時、楽しい気分になる
ともだちといっしょにいるとき、たのしいきぶんになる
When I am with my friends, I feel happy.
Tanoshige
楽しげ
Happy, merry
Tanoshige (楽しげ / たのしげ) also means ‘happy’ or ‘cheerful’ in Japanese!
Despite that, it is actually not a word you may find yourself using and/or hearing in everyday conversation. But, there’s no harm in being familiar with tanoshige as you may come across it in writing, especially in older stories.
Think of it as ‘merry’ in English: old-fashioned and rarely used today, but ‘happy’ nonetheless!
Uchouten
有頂天
Over the moon
Uchouten (有頂天 / うちょうてん) is not a word you would want to use too often, but solely for those times of extreme happiness and delight.
- 有(う) – u means to ‘possess’ or ‘have’
- 頂(ちょう) – chou means ‘summit’ or ‘top’
- 天(てん) – ten means ‘heaven’
Therefore, uchouten expresses such happiness where you feel as if you are on top of the heavens. In English, we could compare it to ‘I’m over the moon!’ or ‘I’m beside myself with joy!’.
Yokatta
よかった
I’m happy for you
Yokatta is the past tense of the adjective yoi (よい) or ii (いい) meaning ‘good’. If someone tells you some good news, you can say yokatta to convey ‘I’m happy for you!’ or ‘I’m glad to hear that!’
Genki wo dashite
元気を出して
Be happy; cheer up
Genki (元気 / げんき) is an extremely multifaceted, positive word. It is usually translated as ‘lively’ or ‘energetic’ and represents general wellness.
If you know someone who may be feeling down you can say to them genki wo dashite! (元気を出して / げんきをだして). Dashite is an imperative form of the verb dasu (出す / だす) meaning ‘to take/get out’.
This phrase has the same effect as saying ‘cheer up’ or ‘be happy’ in English.
Related posts
- How to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese
- How to Say Happy New Year in Japanese
- How to Say Sad in Japanese
- 8+ Romantic Japanese Words For Love
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!