“うれしみが深い” – Correct or not? Nominalization of adjectives seen through youth slang
Table of Contents
1. Nominalization of adjectives seen through youth slang
2. Nominalization of adjectives with “-み”
3. Nominalization of adjectives with “-さ”
4. “うれしみが深い”？
5. Summary
6. Similer Articles
7. Comment
Q: I saw “うれしみが深い” on X, but I don’t understand its meaning.
Is “うれしい → うれしみ” acceptable?
A: “うれしみが深い” is an internet slang phrase that began spreading among young people a few years ago, but it is not correct Japanese. When nominalizing adjectives, either “-み” or “-さ” is used. However, only a very limited number of adjectives can take “-み,” while “-さ” is more common. Therefore, the correct nominal form of “うれしい” is “うれしさ.” That said, the phrase “うれしさが深い” is also unnatural and incorrect.
In this article, we explain how adjective nominalization works and why “うれしみが深い” is regarded as a misuse.
For more on the nominalization of adjectives, it is also explained in this article, so please read it together.
Nominalization of adjectives with “-み”
[Rule]
[A] い adjectiveい＋み
[Examples]
この部屋には木のあたたかみがあります。
This room has the warmth of wood.
大切な友人を失った悲しみは、時が経っても心に残っています。
The sorrow of losing a dear friend remains in the heart even as time passes.
彼の話には深みがあって、聞いていて考えさせられます。
His story has depth, and listening to it makes you think.
[Categories of words that can take “-み”]
Adjectives that can be nominalized with “-み” are very limited and can mainly be divided into the following four types:
・Adjectives expressing emotions
・Adjectives expressing sensation
・Adjectives expressing tastes
・Adjectives expressing attributes
Furthermore, even within these categories, the adjectives that can actually take “-み” are limited.
Adjectives expressing emotions or sensations
〇 悲しい (sad), 痛い (painful), 楽しい (fun), おもしろい (interesting), あたたかい (warm)
✕ うれしい (happy), 寒い (cold), 涼しい (cool)
Adjectives expressing tastes
〇 うまい (tasty), 甘い (sweet), 苦い (bitter), 辛い (spicy)
✕ すっぱい (sour)
Adjectives expressing attributes
〇 厚い (thick), 深い (deep), 赤い (red), 青い (blue), etc.
✕ 長い (long), 広い (wide)
“うれしい” is a word that expresses an emotion, but it cannot be turned into “うれしみ.”
The suffix “-み” tends to be used not for concrete and clear facts, but rather to express sensory or abstract nuances.
[Examples]
夕日の赤みが、山をきれいにそめました。
The redness of the sunset beautifully dyed the mountains.
⇒ Here, “赤み” is an abstract expression, not referring to a clear red but to a color tinged with red or the degree of redness.
大人になると、苦みのある野菜もおいしく感じます。
As you become an adult, even vegetables with bitterness can taste good.
玉ねぎをよく炒めると、甘みが出ます。
When onions are well sautéed, their sweetness comes out.
In this way, the use of “-み” is limited to certain cases and is often employed to emphasize sensory or figurative nuances.
Nominalization of adjectives with “-さ”
[Rules]
[A] い adjectivesい＋さ
[Na] なadjectivesな＋さ
*For “いい”, use “よい”, which becomes “よさ”.
[Examples]
勝利したときの嬉しさを今も忘れられません。
I still cannot forget the happiness I felt when we won.
彼の頭の良さには誰にも敵いません。
No one can match his intelligence.
この町の便利さに慣れたら、もう他の町には住めないよ。
Once you get used to the convenience of this town, you can no longer live in another.
“-さ” can be used not only with い adjectives but also with な adjectives, which makes its range of expression broader. Compared to “-み,” it tends to be used when describing more concrete and objective matters. For this reason, many words that can be expressed with “-み” can also be replaced with “-さ.”
[Examples]
〇このケーキは甘みがありますね。
This cake has sweetness.
〇このケーキは甘さが強すぎます。
This cake’s sweetness is too strong.
Both “甘み” and “甘さ” are possible, but “甘さ” has concreteness that allows for numerical or comparative evaluation, while “甘み” carries a sensory or abstract nuance.
[Examples]
このかばんの重さは1キロあります。
This bag weighs 1 kilogram.
これだけ広さがあれば十分です。
This much space is enough.
In this way, “-さ” is often used to concretely indicate degree, quantity, or quality, making it a highly versatile nominalization expression for learners.
“うれしみが深い”？
This expression is not correct Japanese and is considered a misuse, but in practice it is used to convey the nuance of “feeling very happy.”
Originally, the expression “[Noun +] が深い” is employed as an objective metaphor meaning “to have such inner depth or substance that it cannot be seen from the surface.”
[Examples]
先生は歴史の知識が深いです。
The teacher has deep knowledge of history.
二人の信頼関係は深いです。
The trust between the two is deep.
On the other hand, the phrase “うれしみが深い” can be seen as internet slang in which young people deliberately try to view their own emotions objectively and express them indirectly. However, in correct Japanese, the appropriate expression would be “とてもうれしい” (very happy) or “非常にうれしい” (extremely happy).
Why “うれしみが深い” is considered a misuse
The correct nominal form of “うれしい” is “うれしさ,” not “うれしみ.”
In addition, the expression “[Noun +] が深い” is an objective, metaphorical phrase used when evaluating things like knowledge or relationships, and it is unnatural to apply it to subjective emotions.
Furthermore, since the word “うれしい” itself inherently expresses a personal feeling directly, the combination “うれしみが深い” is not appropriate Japanese.
Thus, while “うれしみが深い” has spread as internet slang because of its unique sound, it should be noted that it is considered a misuse in standard Japanese.
Summary
There are two types of adjective nominalization in Japanese: “-み” and “-さ.”
- “-み” can only be used with a limited number of い adjectives, and the words that accept it are very restricted. It is often used for abstract or sensory expressions.
- “-さ” can be used with most い adjectives and な adjectives, and is frequently applied when describing concrete matters.
“うれしみが深い”is an incorrect expression
- The correct nominal form of うれしい (happy) is うれしさ, not うれしみ.
- The pattern “[Noun +] が深い” is a figurative expression used objectively to describe things like knowledge or relationships, and it is not suitable for subjective emotions.
- Since うれしい expresses a personal feeling directly, the correct phrasing is とてもうれしい (“very happy”) or 非常にうれしい (“extremely happy”).
SImiler Articles
- Must-Know for Foreigners Working in Japan: Do You Really Need a Hanko (Personal Seal)?
- Differences in Parts of Speech between Japanese and English②
- Differences in Parts of Speech between Japanese and English①
- Learning the Forms of Japanese from Classical Literature
- Idioms Using “頭” ② – Useful in Everyday Conversations
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