How to say "delight" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 喜びよろこびnounThe general word for delight as a feeling of joy or pleasure. Use it whenever you mean delight in the broad sense, whether quiet satisfaction or strong happiness, in both writing and everyday speech.
- 歓喜かんきnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers delight in its strongest sense, great joy or rapture, often at news or a momentous event. It is a somewhat formal noun suited to describing intense, elevated delight rather than everyday pleasure.
- 大喜びおおよろこびnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbExpresses delight as jubilation or great joy, typically someone's visible, enthusiastic delight. It fits contexts where a person is overjoyed, and is more vivid than plain 喜び.
- 楽しみたのしみnoun, na-adjectiveMeans delight in the sense of enjoyment or pleasure, especially pleasure looked forward to or taken in an activity. It is the natural choice for the delight of pastimes and anticipated fun, not for rapture.
- 喜ばすよろこばすgodan verb, transitive verbThis is the verb sense of 'delight': to delight or please someone, to make them happy. Use it when the English 'delight' takes a person as its object, as in delighting an audience.
Use 「喜び」 for joy or pleasure in general, 歓喜 for intense delight, 「大喜び」 for jubilant great joy, 「楽しみ」 for anticipated enjoyment, and the verb 「喜ばす」 when delighting someone else.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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