嬉しい vs 幸せ. Which one to use in this case?


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。




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.




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.

