Dictionary.com's Spanish Word of the Day
alegría, noun happiness, joy
Alegría is a great quality to have, and is the noun deriving from the adjective alegre — happy — which you probably already know.
Spanish: Es un motivo grande de alegría. English: It's a great cause for happiness.
Alegría is sometimes translated as joy, as in Beethoven's famous 'Ode to Joy', which in Spanish is el Himno a la Alegría.It's worth bearing in mind that you often can't translate alegría literally as happiness. For instance, in the common phrase ¡Qué alegría + infinitive:
Spanish: ¡Qué alegría verte por aquí! English: How wonderful to see you here!
And the phrase con alegría is translated in various ways — often not with a noun at all!
Spanish: Comprobó con alegría que no la habían visto. English: She was pleased to discover that she hadn't been seen.
Spanish: Festejan hoy con alegría la boda de la Infanta. English: Today they are happily celebrating the Infanta's wedding.