Glad and Happy
2020-09-12
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1Today we answer a question from Morgan in China. Morgan writes:
2I have a question about the words "glad" and "happy."
3In which situations would I use them? I am confused by these words.
4Thanks so much. -- Morgan, China.
5Dear Morgan,
6Thank you for writing!
7First, let us take a look at the two words and see how they are the same and how they are different.
8"Glad" and "happy" both share the meaning of the feeling of pleasure, joy or delight.
9Sometimes the two words can be used the same way.
10In sentences with the words "be," "look" or "feel," "glad" and "happy" are very similar, so either one can be used.
11Here are two examples:
12He feels glad about how things turned out.
13She looks happy with her coat.
14You can also use "glad" or "happy" when you want to say that someone is willing to do something. For example:
15I would be glad to join you.
16I would be happy to help you.
17One way in which you would use "happy" and not "glad" is when you are describing a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment because of your life or situation.
18For example:
19She was a very happy child.
20Happy is better in this sentence for this reason: the child was happy because of conditions in her situation.
21It was more than just one event.
22If you were to say that the child was glad, it would be a temporary feeling.
23For example:
24She was very glad when her father came home.
25Another time when you would use "happy" instead of "glad" is when it is used as an adjective -- changing the meaning of the following noun.
26Here are a few examples:
27I could hear the child's happy laughter from the other room.
28They have had a very happy marriage.
29Those were happy times.
30Another way in which "happy" is used is when it is used as part of a greeting or wish for someone on a holiday or special occasion.
31You would always use "happy," not "glad," for a greeting like this:
32We are wishing you happy holidays!
33I hope that helps to answer your question, Morgan.
34What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
35And that's Ask a Teacher.
36I'm Gregory Stachel.
37And I'm Jill Robbins.
1Today we answer a question from Morgan in China. Morgan writes: 2Question: 3I have a question about the words "glad" and "happy." In which situations would I use them? I am confused by these words. 4Thanks so much. -- Morgan, China. 5Answer: 6Dear Morgan, 7Thank you for writing! First, let us take a look at the two words and see how they are the same and how they are different. 8Use either 'happy' or 'glad' 9"Glad" and "happy" both share the meaning of the feeling of pleasure, joy or delight. Sometimes the two words can be used the same way. In sentences with the words "be," "look" or "feel," "glad" and "happy" are very similar, so either one can be used. Here are two examples: 10He feels glad about how things turned out. 11She looks happy with her coat. 12You can also use "glad" or "happy" when you want to say that someone is willing to do something. For example: 13I would be glad to join you. 14I would be happy to help you. 15Use 'happy' only 16One way in which you would use "happy" and not "glad" is when you are describing a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment because of your life or situation. For example: 17She was a very happy child. 18Happy is better in this sentence for this reason: the child was happy because of conditions in her situation. It was more than just one event. If you were to say that the child was glad, it would be a temporary feeling. For example: 19She was very glad when her father came home. 20Another time when you would use "happy" instead of "glad" is when it is used as an adjective -- changing the meaning of the following noun. Here are a few examples: 21I could hear the child's happy laughter from the other room. 22They have had a very happy marriage. 23Those were happy times. 24Another way in which "happy" is used is when it is used as part of a greeting or wish for someone on a holiday or special occasion. You would always use "happy," not "glad," for a greeting like this: 25We are wishing you happy holidays! 26I hope that helps to answer your question, Morgan. 27What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 28And that's Ask a Teacher. 29I'm Gregory Stachel. 30And I'm Jill Robbins. 31Gregory Stachel and Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 32_______________________________________________________________ 33Words in This Story 34joy - n. a feeling of great happiness 35delight - n. a strong feeling of happiness; great pleasure or satisfaction 36pleasure - n. a feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction; a pleasant or pleasing feeling 37Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.