To be happy is to feel good or experience some sort of goodness. The word "happy" is a very basic vocabulary word in English, but you should pay close attention to how it is used:
Use "happy" with the verbs "be," "feel," or "seem."
Maria is happy.
Joe feels happy.
Maria and Joe are happy together.
They seem happy together. (But we aren’t sure. That’s why "seem" is used.)
When using "happy" with the verb "make," include an object after the verb:
Her children make her happy.
His work makes him feel happy.
A win will make the team happy.
A sunny day makes everyone happier.
Problems at work are making me unhappy. (The opposite of "happy" is "unhappy.")
Sometimes the word "happy" is followed by an infinitive:
I’m happy to be here.
I’m happy to help you.
We’re happy to hear the good news.
We’re happy to see that everyone is okay.
The teacher is happy to meet you.
The students are happy to learn new things.
You can also be happy for another person. In this case, you celebrate another person’s good fortune or success:
I’m happy for you.
We feel so happy for you.
Everyone is happy for the newly married couple.
When Charlene announced that she was pregnant, her coworkers all said that they were happy for her.
The prepositions "about" and "with" are also commonly used with "happy."
Tom is happy about his new boat.
He’s happy with his new boat.
Maria’s happy with her husband.
She’s happy about living in Nebraska.
The drivers are happy about the new freeway.
They’re happy about all the time they are saving on the new freeway.
We’re happy with our new furniture.
We’re happy about getting the furniture on sale.
Use the word "happy" when greeting other people for holiday occasions:
Happy New Year!
Happy Easter!
Happy Fourth of July!
Happy Thanksgiving!
When mixed with a touch of sarcasm, the word "happy" may have the opposite meaning:
This is all your fault. Are you happy now?
I hope you’re happy.
I hope you’re happy with yourself!
The word "happily" is an adverb:
The students happily returned to school after their vacation.
The volunteers happily pitched in to help fix the house of an elderly neighbor.
We happily made a donation to the school.
The word "happiness" is a noun:
The boy’s happiness could not be contained. (He was so happy he had a hard time controlling himself.)
Latoya wants to share her happiness with other people.
Happiness is being able to live in a world of peace.
