Tanoshii is the Japanese word for ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’, explained

What does “tanoshii” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tanoshii” to mean ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese textbooks. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to use “tanoshii” more properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “tanoshii”
  • Example #1: how to say “fun” in Japanese
• Tanoshikunai: the nai form of “tanoshii”
  • Example #2: how to say “not fun” in Japanese
• Tanoshikatta: the ta form of “tanoshii”
  • Example #3: how to say “was fun” in Japanese
• Tanoshikute: the te form of “tanoshii”
  • Example #4: how to say “fun and” in Japanese
• Tanoshikereba: the ba form of “tanoshii”
  • Example #5: how to say “if fun” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “tanoshii”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “tanoshii”.

• tanoshii – 楽しい (たのしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese.

Native speakers use this i-adjective to describe something enjoyable or someone who makes them feel fun.

The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this i-adjecitve through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “fun” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “shigoto” to say “this job” in Japanese.
• shigoto – 仕事 (しごと) : a noun meaning ‘work’ or ‘job’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kono shigoto” to make the subject in the sentence.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works before “tanoshii” to emphasize its meaning.

This is a typical usage of “tanoshii”. In this example, it works as a complement. Like other adjectives, however, it can also work as a modifier in front of a noun. For example, we can say “tanoshii shigoto” to mean a ‘fun job’ in Japanese. It’s worth knowing, I think.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “tanoshii” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “tanoshikunai”.

Tanoshikunai: the nai form of “tanoshii”

Below are the definition and meanings of “tanoshikunai”.

• tanoshikunai – 楽しくない (たのしくない) : the nai form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘not fun’ or ‘not enjoyable’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “tanoshikunai” consists of the following two parts:

• tanoshiku – 楽しく (たのしく) : one conjugation of “tanoshii”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanoshikunai” is literally the nai form of “tanoshii” and means ‘not fun’ or ‘not enjoyable’ in Japanese. Let me explain how to use this nai form through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “not fun” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “tanoshikunai”. When we want to say “not fun” in Japanese, this nai form is a very good option.

Tanoshikatta: the ta form of “tanoshii”

Below are the definition and meanings of “tanoshikatta”.

• tanoshikatta – 楽しかった (たのしかった) : the ta form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘was fun’, ‘was enjoyable’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “tanoshikatta” consists of the following two parts:

• tanoshikat – 楽しかっ (たのしかっ) : one conjugation of “tanoshii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanoshikatta” is literally the ta form of “tanoshii” and means ‘was fun’, ‘was enjoyable’, or such in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to say “was fun” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• ryokou – 旅行 (りょこう) : a noun meaning ‘trip’ or ‘travel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This is a typical usage of “tanoshikatta”. When we want to use the past tense form of “tanoshii”, this ta form is the best option.

Tanoshikute: the te form of “tanoshii”

Below are the definition and meanings of “tanoshikute”.

• tanoshikute – 楽しくて (たのしくて) : the te form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “tanoshikute” consists of the following two parts:

• tanoshiku – 楽しく (たのしく) : one conjugation of “tanoshii”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanoshikute” is literally the te form of “tanoshii”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “tanoshikute” is very useful when we want to use “tanoshii” in front of another adjective or a verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to say “fun and” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• gēmu – ゲーム (げーむ) : a noun meaning ‘video game’ or just ‘game’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• yasui – 安い (やすい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘cheap’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “tanoshikute”. In the example, it has the smooth connection with “yasui”. When we want to use “tanoshii” in front of another adjective or a verb, its te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.

Tanoshikereba: the ba form of “tanoshii”

Lastly, let me explain the definition and meanings of “tanoshikereba”.

• tanoshikereba – 楽しければ (たのしければ) : the ba form of “tanoshii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “tanoshikereba” consists of the following two parts:

• tanoshikere – 楽しけれ (たのしけれ) : one conjugation of “tanoshii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanoshikereba” is literally the ba form of “tanoshii”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “tanoshikereba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to say “if fun” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kono gēmu” to make the subject in the conditional clause.
• ima – 今 (いま) : an adverb meaning ‘now’ in Japanese.
• kat – 買っ (かっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “kau“, which means ‘to buy’ or ‘to purchase’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : the same as used in “tanoshikute”. In the example, this is used after “kat” to make its te form, “kat te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “kudasai”.
• kudasai – ください : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ in Japanese. When this follows a verb, however, this can work like an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of ‘please’. In the example, this works after “kat te” to add the meaning of ‘please’.

This is a typical usage of “tanoshikereba”. In the example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “kono gēmu ga tanoshikereba”, which means ‘if this game is fun’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’, this ba forms is a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “tanoshii” and its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tanoshii – 楽しい (たのしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese. This can work as both a modifier and a complement.
• tanoshikunai – 楽しくない (たのしくない) : the nai form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘not fun’ or ‘not enjoyable’ in Japanese.
• tanoshikatta – 楽しかった (たのしかった) : the ta form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘was fun’, ‘was enjoyable’, or such in Japanese.
• tanoshikute – 楽しくて (たのしくて) : the te form of “tanoshii”, which means ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese. When we want to use “tanoshii” in front of another adjective or a verb, this te form is useful to make a smooth connection.
• tanoshikereba – 楽しければ (たのしければ) : the ba form of “tanoshii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘fun’ or ‘enjoyable’ in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.