JLPT N2 Vocabulary – The difference between “わくわく” and “うきうき”
Table of Contents
1. The difference between “わくわく” and “うきうき”
2. わくわく
3. うきうき
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comments
Q: What is the difference between “わくわく” and “うきうき”?
A: Both express a happy or excited feeling, but “わくわく” describes anticipation or excitement about something that is going to happen, while “うきうき” describes a cheerful, lighthearted mood caused by happiness.
わくわく (JLPT N2)
[Meaning]
Describes a feeling of excitement and anticipation about something that is going to happen.
[Usage]
わくわく＋する
“わくわく” is often used to express the feeling of looking forward to something that is going to happen.
It describes a sense of anticipation about something you have not experienced yet, with thoughts like, “I wonder what it will be like” or “I can’t wait for it to happen.”
[Examples]
明日の遠足楽しみだな！わくわくする！
I’m excited about tomorrow’s field trip!
これからどんなことが起こるんだろう。わくわくするな。
I wonder what’s going to happen. I’m excited!
週末の旅行のことを考えるとわくわくします。
Thinking about the weekend trip makes me excited.
新しいプロジェクトが始まるので、わくわくしています。
I’m excited about starting a new project.
うきうき (JLPT N2)
[Meaning]
Describes a cheerful, lighthearted mood caused by something happy or enjoyable.
[Usage]
うきうき＋する
“うきうき” describes a state in which something happy has happened and the person is feeling cheerful and uplifted overall.
It gives the impression that their happy mood is also showing in their facial expressions and behavior.
[Examples]
遊園地に来て、朝からずっとうきうきしています。
I’ve been in a cheerful mood all morning since coming to the amusement park.
子供はうきうきしながらプールへ行きました。
The child happily headed to the pool.
新しい服を買って、うきうきした気分で帰ってきました。
I bought some new clothes and came home in a cheerful mood.
妻は友達とランチに行くので、朝からうきうきしています。
My wife has been in a cheerful mood since this morning because she’s going out for lunch with her friends.
Let’s Compare
“わくわく” and “うきうき” both express positive feelings, but the focus is slightly different.
わくわく: anticipation or excitement about something that is going to happen
うきうき: a cheerful, lighthearted mood caused by happiness
For example, imagine that you are going on a field trip tomorrow.
[Examples]
明日の遠足、楽しみだな！わくわくする！
I’m excited about tomorrow’s field trip! I’m so looking forward to it!
⇒ The focus is on the anticipation of the field trip that is going to happen.
遠足、楽しいね。うきうきするね。
The field trip is fun, isn’t it? I’m feeling so happy!
⇒ The focus is on the fact that the person is already feeling happy and lighthearted because of the field trip.
In other words, there are situations where both “わくわく” and “うきうき” can be used for the same event.
[The nuance changes even in the same situation]
[Examples]
明日のデートを考えるとわくわくします。
Thinking about tomorrow’s date makes me excited.
⇒ The person is looking forward to what they will do on the date and what kind of time they will have.
明日はデートなので、彼女はうきうきしています。
She is in a cheerful mood because she has a date tomorrow.
⇒ She is looking forward to the date and is already feeling cheerful and lighthearted.
So, it may be helpful to think of the difference like this:
わくわく = anticipation for something enjoyable
うきうき = a cheerful, uplifted mood
[When describing another person]
“わくわく” and “うきうき” can be used not only to describe your own feelings, but also to describe how someone else seems or feels.
[Examples]
姉は今日デートがあるので、朝からうきうきしています。
My sister has been in a cheerful mood since this morning because she has a date today.
⇒ This describes how happy and lighthearted my sister seems.
子供たちは来月の海外旅行をわくわくしながら待っています。
The children are eagerly looking forward to their overseas trip next month.
⇒ This describes how excited the children are about the trip.
Summary
[わくわく]
- Expresses anticipation or excitement about something that is going to happen.
- Describes feelings such as “I can’t wait for it to happen” or “I wonder what it will be like.”
- Often used for future plans or things that have not yet been experienced.
[うきうき]
- Expresses a cheerful, lighthearted mood caused by happiness.
- Focuses on how happy and upbeat the person feels or appears.
- Can be used not only for something happening now, but also for enjoyable plans that are going to happen.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. わくわく
再来月のお姉ちゃんの結婚式、わくわくするなあ。
I’m so excited about my sister’s wedding the month after next!
*“わくわく” is appropriate because it expresses anticipation and excitement about the upcoming wedding.
A. うきうき
娘はずっと来たかったところへ来られてうきうきしています。
My daughter is excited to finally be at the place she’s always wanted to visit.
*“うきうき” is appropriate because it describes how she is feeling happy and cheerful now after finally arriving at a place she had always wanted to visit.
A. うきうき
長い夏休みが始まって子供たちはうきうきしています。
The children are excited now that the long summer vacation has started.
*“うきうき” is appropriate because it describes how the children are feeling happy and cheerful now that summer vacation has begun.
A. わくわく
来年から海外に住む娘はわくわくしながら準備をしています。
My daughter, who will be living abroad starting next year, is excited as she prepares.
*“わくわく” is appropriate because it expresses her anticipation for her future life abroad as she imagines what it will be like and prepares for it.
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