Emotions: how you feel, and how they seem

Press each to hear it. 楽しい is enjoyment of an activity; 嬉しい is happiness about something that happened.

You cannot know someone else’s feelings from the inside, so Japanese adds そう (looks…) or がる (shows signs of…). Drop the final い first.

Short set reactions are how Japanese listeners show they care.

Words for the in-between feelings.

What to say when someone is upset.

Japanese often expresses strong feelings with understatement or set phrases.

Say each one in Japanese, then open the answer to check and hear it.

1. I’m glad.
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   ▶嬉しいです。うれしいですUreshii desu.
2. She looks happy.
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   ▶彼女は嬉しそうです。かのじょはうれしそうですKanojo wa ureshisō desu.そう for other people’s feelings.
3. I’m nervous.
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   ▶緊張しています。きんちょうしていますKinchō shite imasu.
4. What a pity.
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   ▶残念ですね。ざんねんですねZannen desu ne.
5. Thank goodness.
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   ▶よかった。Yokatta.
6. Don’t worry about it.
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   ▶気にしないで。きにしないでKi ni shinaide.

Compare first person and third person.