Translation guide
How to express being pleased, satisfied, or happy about something in Japanese, depending on formality and context.
Expressing that you are pleased or satisfied with a situation, outcome, or action.
Polite way to say you are happy/pleased. Commonly used in everyday conversation.
お会いできて嬉しいです。
I'm pleased to meet you.
プレゼントをありがとう。とても嬉しいです。
Thank you for the present. I'm very pleased.
Literally 'I am rejoicing'. Slightly more formal, often used when expressing pleasure about someone else's success or good news.
ご成功を聞いて、とても喜んでいます。
I'm very pleased to hear of your success.
Emphasizes satisfaction, often with a result or service. More formal than 嬉しい.
結果に満足しています。
I'm pleased with the results.
Expressing pleasure in formal situations, such as business meetings, speeches, or letters.
Means 'I am honored'. Used in very formal contexts to express pleasure at receiving an opportunity or compliment.
このような機会をいただき、光栄です。
I am pleased to have this opportunity.
Humble/formal version of 嬉しいです. Used in business correspondence.
ご連絡いただき、嬉しく存じます。
I am pleased to receive your message.
Very formal, often used in speeches or official statements.
この度のご成功を喜ばしく思います。
I am pleased with your recent success.
Expressing self-satisfaction, sometimes with a nuance of smugness.
Means 'self-satisfied'. Can be neutral or slightly negative (smug).
彼は自分の仕事に自己満足している。
He is pleased with his own work.
Describes someone looking pleased with themselves, often visibly proud.
彼女はテストの結果に得意げだ。
She looks pleased with her test results.
Expressing willingness or pleasure in doing something for someone.
Standard polite phrase meaning 'I will gladly do ~'. Used when offering help.
喜んでお手伝いします。
I'll be pleased to help you.
By itself, means 'with pleasure' or 'gladly'. Used as a response.
「手伝ってくれる？」「喜んで。」
"Can you help me?" "With pleasure."
嬉しい (ureshii) is for momentary happiness or pleasure about a specific event. 楽しい (tanoshii) is for enjoying an activity or experience over time. Don't use 嬉しい for fun activities.
パーティーは楽しかった。
The party was fun.
プレゼントをもらって嬉しかった。
I was pleased to receive the present.
The English phrase 'be pleased' often translates to 嬉しい or 満足する, but direct translations like 喜ばれる (be pleased by someone) are passive and not always natural. Use active expressions like 嬉しいです or 喜んでいます instead.