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How to Say ‘Happy’ in Japanese

うれしかったです

ureshikatsu ta desu

[oo-reh-shee-kaht tah dess]

💬 Usage Tip: [うれしかったです] means “I was happy” or “I felt glad” in a polite way. Great for sharing a nice feeling.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a sweet, natural phrase for talking about happy moments without sounding too dramatic.

Phrase Breakdown

うれしかった

ureshikatsu ta

was happy; was glad

Past tense of うれしい, expressing happiness in the past.

Example

うれしかったです。

I was happy.

Words in this phrase

うれしかっ

ureshikatsu

[oo-reh-shee-kaht]

was happy

Past form stem showing the speaker felt happy.

Example

家族と話してうれしかったです。

I was happy to talk with my family.

ta

[tah]

past tense ending

Completes the past form of the feeling word.

Example

うれしかったです。

I was happy.

です

desu

[dess]

is; polite ending

Makes the expression polite and natural in conversation.

Example

うれしかったです。

I was happy.

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