30774
Both mean happy. 嬉しい is an i-adjective, and 幸せ is a na-adjective. If I want to
say, "The happy boy studied at the library", which one should I use? The boy
in the sentence is feeling happy at the moment.

> 嬉しい男の子が図書館で勉強しました。

or

> 幸せな男の子が図書館で勉強しました。
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-27T17:59:02.510
30773
2019-11-02T03:19:05.193
2016-01-27T19:07:58.937
1346
1346
question
word-choice
嬉しい vs 幸せ. Which one to use in this case?
嬉しい nowadays is mostly used to express your happiness during a certain moment
or time, and it's usually brief periods of joy and related to a close
event(either by speech or by time). For example, if you just got a package you
waited for, you'll be 嬉しい. If you passed your test, you're going to be 嬉しい.

幸せ(な) is used to express long-term joy, or put more simply, happiness. For
example, if you're describing a happy family, you can say 幸せな家族. It has the
general meaning of happiness while 嬉しい is for the immediate meaning of joy
derived from a certain moment or event.

  * うちは幸せな結婚生活ですよ。
  * それは嬉しいことですね。

His marriage is filled with しあわせ, and he's うれしい about it.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-27T18:35:53.637
30774
2016-01-28T05:12:52.767
2016-01-28T05:12:52.767
11176
11176
30773
answer
I think 嬉しい男の子 is unnatural. 嬉しい is rarely used in modifying nouns. If you use
it as a modifier, it should be 嬉しそうな.

I think 幸せな男の子が図書館で勉強しました is no problem, but if a third person describes
another person's emotion or condition, attaching そうな to them is better.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-01-28T05:35:17.647
30780
2019-11-02T03:19:05.193
2019-11-02T03:19:05.193
7320
7320
30773
answer