Tanoshimi Vs Tanoshisa: Understanding Their Differences

Joy packing her bags for a trip [Tanoshimi] vs. Joy laughing at a party right now [Tanoshisa])

“I’m looking forward to the trip.” -> Ryokou ga Tanoshimi desu.
“I understand the fun of traveling.” -> Ryokou no Tanoshisa ga wakarimasu.
In Japanese, you can change an I-adjective like Tanoshii (fun) into a noun by dropping the “i” and adding ~mi or ~sa. But what is the difference? One is about your hopes for the future, and the other is about measuring the feeling itself. Let’s master these N3 suffixes with Joy and Ken!

🗣 Conversation Scene

Joy is preparing for an upcoming JPLT offline event and is very excited.

Joy

ケンさん、来週（らいしゅう）のイベント、たくさんの生徒（せいと）さんに会えるので、とても楽しさ（たのしさ）にしています！
(Ken, I get to meet so many students at next week’s event, so I am “Tanoshisa ni shite imasu [making it into a fun-level]”!)

Ken

Joyさん、気持ちは分かりますが、未来（みらい）のワクワクする予定は「楽しみ（たのしみ）」ですよ！
「楽しさ」は、今感じている感情のレベル（Degree）を表す時に使います。
(Joy, I understand your feeling, but for exciting future plans, you use “Tanoshimi”! “Tanoshisa” is used to express the level/degree of the emotion you are feeling.)

💡 Explanation

Anticipation vs. Measurement

1. 楽しみ (Tanoshimi) = Anticipation / Source of joy ✨

Suffix Nuance: ~mi (味) adds a subjective, internal feeling.
“Tanoshimi” is used when you are looking forward to something in the future. It can also refer to a hobby or an activity that brings you joy in your daily life.

明日のデートを楽しみにしている。
(I am looking forward to tomorrow’s date. *Future anticipation*)
私の楽しみは、映画を見ることです。
(My source of joy / hobby is watching movies.)

2. 楽しさ (Tanoshisa) = The degree/level of fun 😆

Suffix Nuance: ~sa (さ) turns an adjective into a measurable degree (like “-ness”).
“Tanoshisa” focuses on *how much* fun something is. You use it when reflecting on an experience, explaining the quality of an activity, or comparing how fun two things are.

日本語を学ぶ楽しさが分かってきた。
(I’ve started to understand the fun-ness / joy of learning Japanese.)
このゲームの楽しさは、友達と一緒にできることだ。
(The fun quality of this game is that you can play with friends.)

📊 Comparison Table

Word	Meaning / Focus	Common Phrasing
楽しみ (Tanoshimi)	Anticipation / Hobby (Looking forward to the future)	〜を楽しみにしている (Looking forward to ~)
楽しさ (Tanoshisa)	Degree / Quality (How fun something actually is)	〜の楽しさを知る (To know the fun of ~)

🚧 The Business Email Trap!

When ending an email to a client or teacher before a meeting:

❌ Wrong: お会いできることを 楽しさ にしています。
(Nuance: “I am turning the fact that we will meet into a measurable level of fun.” Makes no sense!)

✅ Right: お会いできることを 楽しみ にしております。
(Nuance: “I am looking forward to meeting you.” This is standard, polite Japanese!)

🔥 Practice Quiz

Tap to check the answer!

Q1. I finally understand the ______ of studying Japanese.
(Nihongo no benkyou no ______ ga wakatte kita.)

Answer: tanoshisa (楽しさ)
You are talking about the quality/degree of the experience.

Q2. I am really ______ to see the new movie tomorrow.
(Ashita atarashii eiga o miru no ga ______ desu.)

Answer: tanoshimi (楽しみ)
You are anticipating a future event.

Q3. Playing tennis on the weekends is my only ______.
(Shuumatsu ni tenisu o suru no ga, watashi no yuiitsu no ______ desu.)

Answer: tanoshimi (楽しみ)
It represents a source of joy or a hobby.

Keep practicing with JPLT!