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N5Lesson notes · Oct 10, 2026

Enjoy in Japanese: 楽たのしむ, 楽たのしい and 楽たのしみ explained

Enjoy in Japanese is 楽たのしむ (tanoshimu), but you will say 楽たのしい or 楽たのしかった far more often — because Japanese splits "enjoy" into an action (楽たのしむ), a feeling (楽たのしい) and something you look forward to (楽たのしみ).

English uses one word, "enjoy," for all of it. Japanese uses three words built from the same kanji 楽らく, and picking the wrong one is why "I enjoyed the movie" so often comes out strange. This article sorts them out, shows what to say to a friend leaving on a trip, and covers the mistakes I hear most in class. If you are mainly after the adjective "fun," the sister article on fun in Japanese goes deeper on 楽たのしい itself.

The basics

What is "enjoy" in Japanese?

楽たのしむ (たのしむ) is the verb "to enjoy," and it takes を. It describes you actively getting pleasure out of something: a trip, a hobby, a meal, a festival. Its dictionary form ends in む, so it conjugates like 飲のむ: 楽たのしみます (polite), 楽たのしんで (te-form), 楽たのしんだ (past).

旅行りょこうを楽たのしみます。 — I will enjoy the trip. (polite, a plan) お祭まつりを楽たのしんだ。 — I enjoyed the festival. (casual, plain past) ゆっくり楽たのしんでください。 — Please enjoy it at your leisure. (polite, to a guest)

Notice the pattern: the thing you enjoy gets を, just like any other action verb. If you can see the thing you are doing, you can usually 楽たのしむ it.

How are 楽たのしむ, 楽たのしい and 楽たのしみ different?

楽たのしむ is the verb, 楽たのしい is the adjective, and 楽たのしみ is the noun. This one table solves most of the confusion.

Word Type Meaning Typical pattern
楽たのしむ verb to enjoy (an activity) 〜を楽たのしむ
楽たのしい i-adjective fun, enjoyable 〜は楽たのしい
楽たのしかった past of 楽たのしい it was fun 〜は楽たのしかった
楽たのしみ noun something to look forward to 〜が楽たのしみ

Think of it as three camera angles. 楽たのしむ films you doing the enjoying. 楽たのしい films the thing being fun. 楽たのしみ films the future moment you are excited about.

この映画えいがは楽たのしい。 — This movie is fun. (casual, describing the thing) この映画えいがを楽たのしんだ。 — I enjoyed this movie. (casual, describing your action) この映画えいがが楽たのしみ。 — I'm looking forward to this movie. (casual, excitement about the future)

How do you say "I enjoyed it"?

Usually 楽たのしかったです, not 楽たのしみました. Both are grammatical, but they feel different. 楽たのしかったです reports a feeling about the event: it was fun. 楽たのしみました says you actively enjoyed doing it, and it sounds a little like a polite review or a travel diary.

When a friend asks "How was it?", the natural answer is the adjective.

どうでしたか? — How was it? (polite, asking for an impression) すごく楽たのしかったです! — It was really fun! (polite, giving your impression)

If you want to stress that you managed to get the full experience, 楽たのしめました ("I was able to enjoy it") is a lovely, natural option. It is the past of 楽たのしめる, the potential form of 楽たのしむ, and it often carries a small note of relief or satisfaction.

雨あめでしたが、楽たのしめました。 — It rained, but I was able to enjoy it. (polite, a small success)

Beyond the basics

How do you say "Enjoy your trip" or "Have fun"?

Use 楽たのしんでね, or 楽たのしんできてね when the person is going somewhere and coming back. The te-form of 楽たのしむ plus ね is the casual "enjoy!", and adding きて (the te-form of 来くる) means "go enjoy and come back," which is exactly the feeling when someone leaves for a trip.

旅行りょこう、楽たのしんできてね。 — Have fun on your trip. (casual, to a friend who will return) 楽たのしんできてください。 — Please have a good time. (polite, to a colleague or teacher) いってらっしゃい! — See you later, take care! (everyday send-off)

In real life these combine. At the door you say いってらっしゃい; for a longer event like a trip or a concert you add 楽たのしんできてね. Notice that 楽たのしい does not work here. You cannot say 楽たのしいね to someone leaving, because that would mean "it is fun," which describes a state, not a wish for the future.

For eating, do not reach for 楽たのしんで. Japanese has set phrases instead: 召めし上あがれ ("please eat, enjoy") from the host, and いただきます from the guest.

What does 楽たのしみにしています mean?

It means "I'm looking forward to it," not "I enjoy it." This is the other half of the family. 楽たのしみ is the noun for something you are excited about, so 楽たのしみにする is "to make it your anticipation."

来週らいしゅうのライブ、楽たのしみにしています。 — I'm looking forward to next week's concert. (polite, to someone you will see) 明日あしたが楽たのしみだなあ。 — I can't wait for tomorrow. (casual, thinking aloud) 楽たのしみにしてる! — Looking forward to it! (casual, to a friend)

A good test: if the thing has not happened yet, you want 楽たのしみ. If it already happened, you want 楽たのしかった. A common slip is mixing the direction of time, which I list under mistakes below.

What is お楽たのしみください?

It is the formal "please enjoy," used by shops, venues and announcements. お〜ください is a respectful request, so お楽たのしみください is how a staff member or a recorded voice speaks to a guest.

どうぞお楽たのしみください。 — Please enjoy yourself. (very polite, staff or announcements) ごゆっくりお楽たのしみください。 — Please take your time and enjoy. (very polite, an event or exhibition)

You will hear it at the start of a show, on a ride, or at a festival booth. You would not say it to a friend; for them, 楽たのしんでね is right.

Is エンジョイする Japanese?

Yes, but it is casual and slightly playful. エンジョイ is the loanword from English "enjoy," and エンジョイする means roughly the same as 楽たのしむ. It sounds like something from a magazine or a friend joking around, not a sentence for a polite conversation.

夏休なつやすみをエンジョイしよう! — Let's enjoy the summer break! (casual, upbeat)

There is also a gaming word, エンジョイ勢せい, for people who play just for fun instead of competing seriously. It shows the same idea: エンジョイ is the relaxed, light-hearted version.

How does it sound in anime?

You will hear 楽たのしもうぜ, 楽たのしんでるか, and 楽たのしみにしてる constantly. The 〜もうぜ ending is the casual, energetic "let's" of a main character. It is the same energy as the "let's go" lines in lets go in Japanese.

今日きょうは思おもいっきり楽たのしもうぜ! — Let's have as much fun as we can today! (casual, rough and friendly, male-coded) 楽たのしんでるか? — Are you having fun? (casual, checking in on a friend) この戦たたかい、楽たのしませてもらうよ。 — I'll enjoy this fight. (casual, a confident rival)

That last pattern, 楽たのしませてもらう ("I'll have you entertain me"), is a classic rival-character line. It uses the causative 楽たのしませる, "to make someone enjoy," and it comes across as confident and a little arrogant. The opposite mood is the one in bored in Japanese, where nothing is worth enjoying at all.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 楽たのしいでした. 楽たのしい is an i-adjective, so the polite past is 楽たのしかったです. 楽たのしいでした is not correct.
  • Using 楽たのしい with を. 映画えいがを楽たのしいです is wrong. The adjective takes は or が: 映画えいがは楽たのしいです. The verb takes を: 映画えいがを楽たのしみました.
  • Adding 私わたしは every time. 私わたしは楽たのしかったです is grammatically fine, but in conversation the 私わたしは is almost always dropped, because the speaker is obvious. Repeating it makes you sound like you are comparing yourself with someone else. Just say 楽たのしかったです.
  • Mixing up 楽たのしみ and 楽たのしかった. 楽たのしみです is "I'm looking forward to it" (future). 楽たのしかったです is "it was fun" (past). Saying 楽たのしみでした for a trip you just returned from is a common slip.
  • Translating "Enjoy your trip" with 楽たのしい. The wish needs the verb: 楽たのしんできてね. Adjectives describe, but only verbs can be wished.
  • Using エンジョイ in formal speech. It works with friends and in marketing, but a polite email wants 楽たのしむ or お楽たのしみください.

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair — the same movie, two different words. Questions 7 and 8 are a second pair, about time.

1. Which word is the verb "to enjoy"?

Show answer

楽たのしむ — 楽たのしい is the adjective and 楽たのしみ is the noun. The verb ends in む and takes を.

2. How do you say "It was fun" politely?

Show answer

楽たのしかったです — 楽たのしい changes to 楽たのしかった in the past. 楽たのしいでした is wrong.

3. Say "This movie is fun." Which particle follows 映画えいが?

Show answer

この映画えいがは楽たのしい — an adjective describes the thing, so the topic marker は fits. This is the pair to question 4.

4. Say "I enjoyed this movie" using the verb.

Show answer

この映画えいがを楽たのしんだ — the verb 楽たのしむ takes を. Compare it with question 3: same movie, but now you describe your own action, so the particle changes.

5. A friend is leaving on a trip and will come back. What do you say?

Show answer

楽たのしんできてね — the te-form of 楽たのしむ plus きて means "go enjoy and come back." You cannot use the adjective 楽たのしい here.

6. What is wrong with 映画えいがを楽たのしいでした?

Show answer

Two things. を does not go with the adjective 楽たのしい, and 楽たのしいでした is not the past form. Correct versions: 映画えいがは楽たのしかったです, or 映画えいがを楽たのしみました.

7. Your concert is next week. Say "I'm looking forward to it."

Show answer

楽たのしみにしています — 楽たのしみ is the noun for something you anticipate, and it points to the future. This is the pair to question 8.

8. You just came home from the concert. Say "It was fun."

Show answer

楽たのしかったです — the event is over, so you use the past of 楽たのしい, not 楽たのしみです. 7 and 8 use the same kanji for opposite times.

9. Who says お楽たのしみください, and to whom?

Show answer

Staff or an announcement, to a guest — お〜ください is a respectful request. You would not say it to a friend, who gets 楽たのしんでね instead.

10. What does 楽たのしもうぜ sound like, and who says it?

Show answer

A casual, energetic "let's have fun" — 〜もうぜ is the rough, friendly "let's," common for anime heroes talking to friends. It is not for polite conversation.

Say what you are looking forward to with 楽たのしみ and what you enjoyed with 楽たのしかった, then wish a guest お楽たのしみください, in a trial lesson.

FAQ

Is 楽たのしむ the same as 楽たのしい? No. 楽たのしむ is a verb ("to enjoy") and 楽たのしい is an adjective ("fun"). They share the kanji 楽らく and the idea of pleasure, but they are used in different sentence patterns: を楽たのしむ versus は楽たのしい.

Should I say 楽たのしかったです or 楽たのしみました? For your general impression, 楽たのしかったです is the default and sounds most natural. 楽たのしみました is correct too, but it focuses on your action and sounds a bit like a written account.

How do I say "I'm looking forward to it"? Use 楽たのしみにしています (polite) or 楽たのしみにしてる (casual). You can also say 楽たのしみです for a short reaction. The noun 楽たのしみ always points to the future.

Can I say エンジョイしてね to a friend? Yes, with friends, and it sounds light and a little jokey. In most cases 楽たのしんでね is more natural and just as friendly.

How do I write enjoy in hiragana? たのしむ is the verb, たのしい the adjective and たのしみ the noun. Beginners often see them in hiragana in textbooks, but the kanji 楽らく is common and worth learning. It also appears in 楽器がっき and 音楽おんがく.

Is 楽たのしい the same as "fun"? Mostly yes, and it also covers "enjoyable" or "happy-feeling." For the full picture, see fun in Japanese.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab, and each line becomes one card.

楽しむ	たのしむ — to enjoy
楽しい	たのしい — fun, enjoyable
楽しみ	たのしみ — something to look forward to
楽しめる	たのしめる — to be able to enjoy
楽しませる	たのしませる — to make someone enjoy, to entertain
お楽しみください	おたのしみください — please enjoy (formal)
旅行	りょこう — trip, travel
いってらっしゃい	いってらっしゃい — see you later (to someone leaving)
召し上がれ	めしあがれ — please eat
エンジョイ	えんじょい — enjoy (loanword)
映画	えいが — movie
お祭り	おまつり — festival
思いっきり	おもいっきり — with all one's might

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard in class and on screen — and "have fun!" is one of the lines learners ask for right before a trip. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N5 · Read something at this level: JLPT N5 stories with audio

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