嬉しい

• Reading: うれしい
• Romaji: ureshii
• Kanji breakdown: 嬉 (ure/ki) — glad, happy, pleased
• Pronunciation: /ɯ.ɾe.ɕi.i/

Meaning

Happy; glad; pleased; delighted. Describes the feeling of joy from a specific event or outcome.

An i-adjective expressing personal happiness in response to something specific, such as receiving a gift or good news. Often used with the て-form of a verb: もらって嬉しい (happy to have received). Unlike 楽しい (enjoyment of an activity), 嬉しい focuses on gratitude or delight about a result. Conjugates regularly: 嬉しくない, 嬉しかった, 嬉しくなかった.

Examples

1. プレゼントをもらってとても嬉しいです。 I'm so happy to have received a present.
2. テストで百点を取れて嬉しかったです。 I was happy that I got a perfect score on the test.
3. 嬉しい知らせがありました。 I received some happy news.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, reactions, gratitude

Tone: positive

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 嬉 combines the woman radical 女 with 喜 (joy), expressing a feeling of delight.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal