The Meaning of tanoshimu [楽しむ] In Japanese

楽しむ
たのしむ
Romaji: tanoshimu N4

What does 楽しむ mean?

Translation and Meaning

to enjoy, to have fun, to take pleasure in

Definition

楽しむ means to actively take pleasure in an activity, to enjoy oneself by engaging with something with interest and positive feeling.

Type

verb (godan, 五段動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to enjoy an activity or experience with pleasure
  • to take delight in leisure, entertainment, or personal time
  • to derive satisfaction from everyday moments or hobbies

Composition

  • 楽: pleasure, ease, enjoyment
  • む: verb-ending suffix that marks the base as a modern godan verb, turning it into ‘to enjoy’

Usage

Used as a transitive verb to express taking pleasure in performing an activity; it is common in casual speech and polite forms when conjugated as a godan verb and used with a direct object marked by を when naming the activity or experience being enjoyed.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: convert tanoshii (fun) into tanoshimu (to enjoy) by replacing the final -i with -mu; imagine turning ‘fun’ into an action you take.

Variations

  • 愉しむ tanoshimu – to take pleasure in
  • 味わう ajiwau – to savor, relish
  • 満喫する mankitsu suru – to fully enjoy, to make the most of

Example Phrases

  • 週末、友達と 水泳 を 楽しむ ために プールへ 行った。
    Shūmatsu, tomodachi to suiei o tanoshimu tame ni pūru e itta.
    On the weekend, I went to the pool with friends to enjoy swimming.
    Lista:
    • 週末 (Shūmatsu) – weekend
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with friends
    • 水泳 (suiei) – swimming
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 楽しむ (tanoshimu) – to enjoy
    • ために (tame ni) – for the purpose of
    • プールへ (pūru e) – to the pool
    • 行った (itta) – went
    「水泳」 é um substantivo que funciona como o objeto do verbo 楽しむ; indica a atividade a ser desfrutada.
  • 私は週末、友達と映画を楽しむのが好き。
    Watashi wa shūmatsu, tomodachi to eiga o tanoshimu no ga suki.
    I like enjoying movies with my friends on weekends.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – direct translation in en
    • 週末 (shūmatsu) – direct translation in en
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – direct translation in en
    • 映画を (eiga o) – direct translation in en
    • 楽しむのが (tanoshimu no ga) – direct translation in en
    • 好き (suki) – direct translation in en
    Core point: 「楽しむ」 means ‘to enjoy’; here it is used with のが好き to express ‘like doing [that activity]’.
  • 朝、回転寿司で並んで、回転を楽しむ。
    Asa, kaiten-zushi de narande, kaiten o tanoshimu.
    In the morning, I queue at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant and enjoy the rotation.
    Lista:
    • 朝 (asa) – morning
    • 回転寿司で (kaiten-zushi de) – at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant
    • 並んで (narande) – queue
    • 回転を (kaiten o) – rotation
    • 楽しむ (tanoshimu) – enjoy
    Here, 「回転」 is a noun meaning rotation; it is the object of 楽しむ through を, indicating what is being enjoyed.
楽しむ