Translation guide
Expressing happiness or relief about a situation. In Japanese, this is often conveyed through adjectives like 嬉しい (ureshii) for personal joy, or verbs like 喜ぶ (yorokobu) for showing gladness. The choice depends on whether you're describing your own feeling or someone else's, and the level of formality.
Expressing that you are happy or glad about something, often in response to good news or a favorable situation.
An i-adjective meaning 'glad' or 'happy'. Used to express one's own feelings. Cannot be used directly to describe a third person's feelings without modification (e.g., 嬉しそう).
プレゼントをもらって嬉しいです。
I'm glad I received a present.
あなたに会えて嬉しい。
I'm glad to see you.
Literally 'it was good', used to express relief or gladness that something turned out well. Very common in spoken Japanese.
無事で良かった。
I'm glad you're safe.
試験に合格して良かったね。
I'm glad you passed the exam.
A verb meaning 'to be glad' or 'to rejoice'. Often used to describe someone else's gladness, or one's own in a more expressive way. Can also mean 'to be pleased'.
彼はその知らせを聞いて喜んだ。
He was glad to hear the news.
A more formal way to say 'I am glad', literally 'I think happily'. Suitable for written or polite contexts.
ご招待いただき、嬉しく思います。
I am glad to receive your invitation.
Means 'happy' in a deeper, more lasting sense. Can be used for 'glad' in contexts of profound happiness or contentment.
あなたと結婚できて幸せです。
I'm glad I could marry you. (I'm happy to be married to you.)
Expressing that you are happy or willing to do something for someone, often as a polite offer.
Pattern meaning 'to gladly do something'. 喜んで (yorokonde) is the te-form of 喜ぶ, used adverbially.
喜んでお手伝いします。
I'll be glad to help you.
Pattern meaning 'I'm glad that...'. Used to express gladness about a specific action or event.
お会いできて嬉しいです。
I'm glad to meet you.
Expressing gladness that something negative didn't happen or a worry is resolved.
Means 'I'm relieved'. Often used when you were worried but now feel glad because things are okay.
君が無事で安心したよ。
I'm glad you're safe. (I'm relieved you're safe.)
Onomatopoeic expression for relief. Very common in casual speech.
電車に間に合ってほっとした。
I was glad I caught the train. (I was relieved to catch the train.)
In Japanese, you cannot say 彼は嬉しい (He is glad) because you cannot know someone else's internal feelings directly. Instead, use 嬉しそう (looks glad) or 喜んでいる (is glad/showing gladness).
嬉しい (ureshii) is for momentary gladness or happiness about a specific event. 幸せ (shiawase) is for a deeper, lasting state of happiness. Use 嬉しい for 'I'm glad to hear that' and 幸せ for 'I'm happy with my life'.
来てくれて嬉しい。
I'm glad you came.
それを聞いて嬉しいです。
I'm glad to hear that.
彼女はその結果を喜んでいた。
She was glad about the result.