Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions

"Happy" in Spanish: feliz

feliz

Say it: feh-LEESadjective/feˈlis/

Happy in Spanish is feliz (feh-LEES). Feliz stays the same for él and ella. The plural is felices. Use estar feliz for a current mood. Use ser feliz for a lasting life state.

Sharing good news

Estoy muy feliz hoy.
I'm very happy today.
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How to pronounce feliz

Say it

feh-LEES

/feˈlis/

feh-LEES. Stress LEES. In Latin America the z in feliz sounds like s.

"Happy" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
felizhappy

Default adjective; same for masculine and feminine singular.

feliceshappy (plural)

For more than one person or thing.

contento / contentaglad, content

Softer everyday synonym for a good mood.

Feliz cumpleañosHappy birthday

Fixed wish; feliz opens many celebration phrases.

How to use feliz in real life

  1. 1Sharing good news

    Estoy muy feliz hoy.

    I'm very happy today.

    Estar feliz marks a current feeling.

  2. 2About a friend

    Ella parece feliz otra vez.

    She seems happy again.

    Feliz does not add -a for ella.

  3. 3Birthday text

    ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Ana!

    Happy birthday, Ana!

    Feliz starts the set birthday wish.

Mistakes English speakers make with feliz

Incorrect: Ella está feliza.

Correct: Ella está feliz.

Feliz has no -a form. Say ella está feliz.

Incorrect: Soy feliz de hambre ahora.

Correct: Estoy feliz. / Tengo hambre.

Use estar feliz for mood. Do not mix feliz with hunger.

Good to know

Feliz opens fixed wishes: Feliz cumpleaños, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Año Nuevo. In casual talk, contento or a smile often does the same job as saying feliz out loud.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

A friend got a new job

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Estás feliz con el trabajo nuevo?

    Are you happy with the new job?

  2. You

    Sí, estoy muy feliz.

    Yes, I'm very happy.

  3. ChatPal

    ¡Qué bien! Yo también estoy feliz por ti.

    How great! I'm happy for you too.

  4. You

    Gracias. Hoy todo salió bien.

    Thanks. Everything went well today.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Happy" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Happy" in Spanish

Does feliz change for gender?

Not in the singular. Él está feliz and ella está feliz. Plural: felices.

Ser feliz or estar feliz?

Estar feliz for a mood now. Ser feliz for a lasting sense of being happy.

How do you say happy birthday?

¡Feliz cumpleaños! It is the standard wish.

What about contento instead of feliz?

Contento/contenta also means glad. Feliz is the default word.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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