प्रसन्नता (prasanntaa)

noun A single-sense noun meaning 'happiness' or 'joy' -- a more formal, literary-leaning counterpart to everyday खुशी (khushii).
Sense 1 : happiness, joy, pleasure
noun, feminine
Synonyms: खुशी (khushii), आनंद (aanand, slightly more literary), हर्ष (harsh, formal/literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear प्रसन्नता (prasanntaa) in the mouths of announcers, teachers, and officials -- it has a slightly ceremonial ring, the kind of word used when someone wants to sound a bit more dignified than a casual मैं बहुत खुश हूँ (main bahut khush hoon, 'I am very happy') would. Government notices and school prize functions love this word.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners default to खुशी (khushii) in all contexts, but प्रसन्नता (prasanntaa) is the word you will meet in speeches, written announcements, and polite formal speech, e.g. मुझे प्रसन्नता है (mujhe prasanntaa hai, 'it gives me pleasure/I am pleased') -- swapping in खुशी there is fine but sounds less formal, not wrong. 2) Like खुशी (khushii), the feeler is marked with को (ko), not ने (ne) -- it patterns like a dative-subject construction, not a transitive verb.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे यह बताते हुए प्रसन्नता हो रही है कि हमारी टीम जीत गई है। I am pleased to inform you that our team has won.
(mujhe yah bataate hue prasanntaa ho rahii hai ki hamaarii tiim jiit gaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
प्रधानाचार्य जी ने अत्यंत प्रसन्नता के साथ पुरस्कार वितरित किए। The principal distributed the prizes with great happiness.
(pradhaanaachaary jii ne atyant prasanntaa ke saath puraskaar vitrit kie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसके चेहरे पर प्रसन्नता झलक रही थी। Happiness was showing on her face.
(uske chehre par prasanntaa jhalak rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह सुनकर सभी को बहुत प्रसन्नता हुई। Everyone felt great happiness on hearing this.
(yah sunkar sabhii ko bahut prasanntaa huii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
विद्यालय प्रशासन को यह घोषणा करते हुए प्रसन्नता है कि वार्षिक समारोह अगले सप्ताह होगा। The school administration is pleased to announce that the annual function will be held next week.
(vidyaalay prashaasan ko yah ghoshnaa karte hue prasanntaa hai ki vaarshik samaaroh agle saptaah hogaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यदि आप हमारे साथ जुड़ते हैं तो हमें प्रसन्नता होगी। It would give us pleasure if you joined us.
(yadi aap hamaare saath judte hain to hamen prasanntaa hogii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश हर किसी के जीवन में इतनी प्रसन्नता होती। If only there was this much happiness in everyone's life.
(kaash har kisii ke jiivan men itnii prasanntaa hotii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बच्चों की सफलता माता-पिता के लिए सबसे बड़ी प्रसन्नता का विषय होती है। Children's success is usually the greatest source of happiness for parents.
(bachchon kii saphaltaa maataa-pitaa ke lie sabse badii prasanntaa kaa vishay hotii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंत्री जी ने बड़ी प्रसन्नता व्यक्त की कि परियोजना समय पर पूरी हुई। The minister expressed great happiness that the project was completed on time.
(mantrii jii ne badii prasanntaa vyakt kii ki pariyojnaa samay par poorii huii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): प्रसन्नता (prasanntaa)
(sg.f.oblique): प्रसन्नता (prasanntaa)
(pl.f.direct): प्रसन्नताएँ (prasanntaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): प्रसन्नताओं (prasanntaaon)