Japanese has a remarkably rich vocabulary for emotions. Many of these words get translated to the same English word, but native speakers use them in very distinct ways. This article groups the most commonly confused feeling adjectives and shows you exactly when to use each one.
Happy: 嬉しい vs 楽しい vs 幸せ
嬉しい (ureshii) — Happy About Something
嬉しい is an emotional reaction to a specific event. Someone gave you a gift, you passed an exam, you got a compliment — that "happy because something good happened" feeling is 嬉しい.
プレゼントをもらって、とても嬉しいです。 → I got a present and I'm so happy.
合格できて嬉しい！ → I'm so happy I passed!
楽しい (tanoshii) — Having Fun, Enjoying
楽しい emphasizes enjoyment during an activity. You're singing karaoke, traveling, chatting with friends — that "what I'm doing right now is fun" feeling is 楽しい.
パーティーはとても楽しかったです。 → The party was really fun.
毎日日本語を勉強するのが楽しい。 → Studying Japanese every day is enjoyable.
嬉しい vs 楽しい Comparison
| 嬉しい | 楽しい | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | An event → emotional reaction | An activity → ongoing enjoyment |
| Duration | Momentary | Sustained |
| Example | Got a gift → 嬉しい | At a party → 楽しい |
| English | Happy (about something) | Fun / enjoyable |
旅行に行けることになって嬉しい。 → I'm happy I get to go on a trip. (Event trigger)
旅行はとても楽しかった。 → The trip was really fun. (Process enjoyment)
幸せ (shiawase) — Blessed, Life Happiness
幸せ goes deeper and lasts longer than 嬉しい. It describes contentment with your life situation — a feeling of "I'm truly blessed."
家族と一緒にいると幸せです。 → Being with family makes me happy (blessed).
こんなに幸せでいいのかな。 → Is it really okay to be this happy?
Quick rule: Good news → 嬉しい. Having fun → 楽しい. Life is good → 幸せ.
Sad: 悲しい vs 寂しい vs 辛い vs 苦しい vs 切ない
悲しい (kanashii) — Sad, Grieving
悲しい is emotional pain from loss, bad news, or tragedy. A loved one passed away, a breakup, a sad movie — the kind of "sad" that makes you want to cry.
おばあちゃんが亡くなって悲しい。 → My grandmother passed away and I'm sad.
悲しい映画を見て泣きました。 → I cried watching a sad movie.
寂しい (sabishii / samishii) — Lonely, Missing Someone
寂しい emphasizes the feeling of absence — no one around, missing someone, leaving a familiar place.
一人暮らしは寂しいです。 → Living alone is lonely.
彼女が帰国して寂しくなった。 → She went back to her country and I feel lonely.
悲しい vs 寂しい Comparison
| 悲しい | 寂しい | |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Emotional pain | Emptiness from absence |
| Trigger | Bad things happening (loss, failure) | Someone/something is gone |
| Physical | Want to cry | Feel hollow inside |
| Example | Pet died → 悲しい | Friend moved away → 寂しい |
ペットが死んで悲しい。 → My pet died and I'm sad. (Emotional pain)
友達が引っ越して寂しい。 → My friend moved away and I'm lonely. (Absence)
辛い (tsurai) — Painful, Hard to Bear
辛い is physical or mental "I can't take it anymore." Stronger than 悲しい in its emphasis on being unbearable. Too much overtime, being bullied, life pressure — that "this is so hard" feeling is 辛い.
毎日残業するのは辛い。 → Working overtime every day is really hard.
辛い経験をしました。 → I went through a painful experience.
苦しい (kurushii) — Suffering, Agonizing
苦しい leans toward physical discomfort or mental torment — can't breathe, financial strain, being torn apart inside.
走りすぎて苦しい。 → I ran too much and I'm in pain.
借金の返済が苦しい。 → Repaying my debt is agonizing.
切ない (setsunai) — Bittersweet, Wistful
切ない is a uniquely Japanese emotion — not quite sad, not quite sweet, but that aching feeling of "I know I can't go back, but I can't help thinking about it." Unrequited love, farewells, youthful memories, sunsets — this word appears constantly in Japanese songs.
昔の写真を見ると切ない気持ちになる。 → Looking at old photos gives me a bittersweet feeling.
切ない恋の歌が好きです。 → I like bittersweet love songs.
Fear and Worry: 怖い vs 恐ろしい / 心配 vs 不安
怖い (kowai) vs 恐ろしい (osoroshii)
Both mean "scared/scary," but 怖い is everyday language while 恐ろしい is more literary and intense.
| 怖い | 恐ろしい | |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Everyday, casual | Literary, formal |
| Intensity | Ordinary fear | Extreme terror |
| Example | Afraid of the dark | The horrors of war |
暗いところが怖い。 → I'm scared of the dark.
戦争は恐ろしいものだ。 → War is a terrifying thing.
心配 (shinpai) vs 不安 (fuan)
| 心配 | 不安 | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Worried about something specific | Vague anxiety |
| Target | Has a clear object | Can be unfocused |
| Example | Worried about test results | Anxious about the future |
テストの結果が心配です。 → I'm worried about my test results.
将来に対して不安を感じる。 → I feel anxious about the future.
Anger: 怒る vs 腹が立つ vs むかつく
| Expression | Reading | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 怒る | おこる | To be angry (action/state) | Neutral |
| 腹が立つ | はらがたつ | To be furious (internal) | Slightly formal |
| むかつく | むかつく | To be pissed off | Casual / slang |
母は弟に怒っている。 → Mom is angry at my brother.
あの人の態度に腹が立つ。 → That person's attitude infuriates me.
本当にむかつく！ → That really pisses me off!
怒る can mean both "to get angry" (visible action) and "to be angry" (internal state). 腹が立つ literally means "my stomach is rising" — emphasizing the internal boiling feeling. むかつく is casual and a bit crude — don't use it around elders or in formal settings.
Common Mistakes by Chinese/English Speakers
- Translating "happy" as 嬉しい every time — If you mean "having fun," use 楽しい instead
- Mixing up 寂しい and 悲しい — A friend moving away isn't 悲しい, it's 寂しい (they're absent)
- Using 怖い in essays — For formal or literary descriptions of terror, 恐ろしい fits better
- Not knowing 切ない — This word has no perfect English equivalent, but it's extremely common in Japanese, especially when talking about love and youth
Summary
- 嬉しい (happy about an event) vs 楽しい (enjoying a process) vs 幸せ (life contentment)
- 悲しい (sad/grieving) vs 寂しい (lonely/missing)
- 辛い (hard to bear) vs 苦しい (suffering) vs 切ない (bittersweet)
- 怖い (everyday fear) vs 恐ろしい (extreme/literary terror)
- 心配 (specific worry) vs 不安 (vague anxiety)
- 怒る (angry) vs 腹が立つ (internally furious) vs むかつく (casual "pissed off")
Practice Quiz
Q1. Your friend got accepted to their dream university. Should they say 嬉しい or 楽しい?
Show Answer
They should say 嬉しい. Getting accepted is an event — the happiness comes from receiving good news, which is event-triggered joy.
Example: 大学に合格できて、本当に嬉しい！ → I got into university, I'm so happy!
If talking about university life being fun, then use 楽しい: 大学生活はとても楽しい。
Q2. Fill in the blanks with 悲しい or 寂しい:
- 「祖母が亡くなって（ ）。」
- 「友達が国に帰って（ ）。」
Show Answer
- 祖母が亡くなって悲しい。 → My grandmother passed away and I'm sad. (Emotional pain from loss → 悲しい)
- 友達が国に帰って寂しい。 → My friend went back to their country and I'm lonely. (Feeling of absence → 寂しい)
Q3. What kind of feeling is 切ない? Make a sentence in Japanese using it.
Show Answer
切ない is a bittersweet, wistful feeling — not pure sadness, but a complex emotion mixed with sweetness or nostalgia.
Example: 卒業式の日、みんなと別れるのが切なかった。 → On graduation day, saying goodbye to everyone was bittersweet.