we vs. be

When someone writes "We happy to..." they've usually dropped the linking verb be. Standard English requires a form of be (are / 're / were / will be) or a substitute verb (would, look, seem) to link a subject and an adjective or participle.

Quick answer

Most of the time add a form of be after we: write "We are happy" or the contraction "We're happy." "We happy to..." is nonstandard because it omits the required linking or auxiliary verb.

Use We are or We're + adjective/participial phrase: We are happy, We're excited, We're pleased to announce.
Formal writing: prefer the full form (We are). Conversational writing: a contraction (We're) is fine.
To change tone, replace the copula with a modal or active verb: We'd be happy, We look forward to, We welcome.

Core explanation: short and practical

Rule: After plural subjects like we use the plural form of be (are, were) or an appropriate auxiliary/modal. The subject we cannot function as the verb.

If the word after we is an adjective or participle (happy, ready, excited, pleased), you usually need are/'re or a replacement verb to form a complete predicate.

Structure: subject (we) + auxiliary (are/'re) + adjective/participle = complete predicate.
Omitting are produces a clipped fragment: "We happy" = incomplete sentence in standard English.

Subject-verb forms to use with we

Common correct forms: we are / we're (present), we were (past), we will be / we'll be (future). Modals also work: we'd be, we can be, we should be.

Present: We are happy. Contraction: We're happy.
Past: We were surprised.
Future: We will be ready / We'll be ready.
Modal/conditional: We'd be happy to help; We can be flexible.

Real usage and tone: formal, neutral, casual

Match formality to context. Use the full "We are" for press releases, formal announcements and academic work. Internal emails and most business messages accept "We're." Casual chat commonly uses contractions; in fast chat some speakers omit auxiliaries (nonstandard).

Formal: We are pleased to announce the promotion of...
Neutral/work: We're happy to schedule the demo next week.
Casual/text: We're happy you made it home. Avoid "We happy" unless imitating dialectal chat intentionally.

Examples: realistic wrong/right pairs (work, school, casual)

Wrong lines drop the auxiliary; right lines restore it or offer natural alternatives.

Work - Wrong: We happy to announce the new schedule for Q3.
Work - Right: We are happy to announce the new schedule for Q3.
Work - Wrong: We happy with how the project turned out.
Work - Right: We're happy with how the project turned out.
School - Wrong: We happy to present our findings tomorrow.
School - Right: We are happy to present our findings tomorrow.
School - Wrong: We happy the professor accepted our proposal.
School - Right: We're happy the professor accepted our proposal.
Casual - Wrong: We happy you made it home safe last night.
Casual - Right: We're happy you made it home safe last night.
Casual - Wrong: We happy to help if you need anything.
Casual - Right: We'd be happy to help if you need anything.

Rewrite help: quick fixes and alternative phrasing

If you want variety or a different tone, swap in a synonym, a modal, or an active verb. Pick the phrasing that matches formality and intent.

Formal alternatives: We are pleased / We are delighted / We are honored.
Polite/conditional: We'd be happy to / We would be pleased to.
Active phrasing: We welcome / We support / Our team supports.

Rewrite: Instead of "We happy to help," use "We're happy to help," "We'd be happy to help," or "We welcome the opportunity to help."
Rewrite: Instead of "We happy with the results," use "We are pleased with the results" or "We're satisfied with the results."
Rewrite: Instead of "We happy to see the project succeed," use "We're delighted to see the project succeed" or "We welcome the project's success."

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase in isolation; context clarifies whether an auxiliary is needed.

Fix your own sentence: a three-step repair checklist

Three quick checks when a sentence sounds off:

Step 1: Identify the subject. Is it "we"?
Step 2: Look at the next word. If it's an adjective or participle (happy, ready, excited), insert are/'re or pick a modal/synonym.
Step 3: Match tense and tone (are vs. were vs. will be; use are for formal, 're for casual). Read it aloud to confirm it no longer sounds clipped.

Wrong: We happy to take part in this study.
Right: We are happy to take part in this study.
Wrong: We happy to help (want a politer tone).
Right: We'd be happy to help.

Memory trick, hyphenation and spacing notes

Memory trick: Picture a small tag labeled ARE that clips onto WE whenever the next word names a state (happy, ready, excited). If the tag is missing, the sentence is incomplete.

Contractions and spacing: write We're with an apostrophe (We're = We are). Never write "we re" with a space or "we-re" with a hyphen; hyphens are not used in contractions.

Correct: We're happy to help.
Incorrect: we re happy / we-re happy.
Headlines sometimes omit be for space, but restore the auxiliary in running text and emails.

Similar mistakes and common confusions

The same omission happens with other subjects (I happy, They happy) or with wrong agreement (We is). Fix these by adding the correct form of be or choosing a modal/alternative verb.

Wrong: I happy to help.
Right: I am happy to help.
Wrong: They happy to join.
Right: They're happy to join.
Wrong: We is happy.
Right: We are happy.

Exceptions: headlines, notes and dialect

Omitting be appears in headlines (space-saving) and in some dialects or rapid speech. That omission is acceptable only in headlines or when intentionally reproducing casual speech; it remains nonstandard in normal writing.

Headline example: Company happy to expand operations (acceptable as a headline).
Body text: The company is happy to expand operations (restore the auxiliary in running text).
Avoid "We happy" in formal emails, reports, and graded work unless quoting or imitating dialogue.

FAQ

Is "We happy to" ever correct?

Not as a standard complete sentence. It appears in headlines or dialectal speech, but in normal writing use We are or We're.

Can I use "We're happy" in a formal email?

You're usually safe with "We're" in semi-formal emails, but prefer "We are" when writing to senior stakeholders or in formal documents.

Why do I keep leaving out "are" after we?

Omitting "are" often comes from fast speech, typing quickly, or transferring grammar from languages that allow a zero copula. Use the three-step checklist to catch the omission.

Is "We is happy" correct?

No. "We" is plural and takes the plural verb form "are." Use "We are" or "We're."

How do I fix "We happy to announce" in a headline or email?

Email/body text: write "We are happy to announce..." or "We're happy to announce...". Headline: "Company happy to announce" is acceptable as headline style, but restore the auxiliary in the accompanying sentence.

Quick check before you send

Before sending or submitting writing, scan for subjects like I, we, they followed immediately by an adjective. If you find one, add the correct verb (am/are/is/were/will be) or rewrite the sentence.

For a fast second opinion, paste one sentence into a grammar tool to flag missing auxiliaries and see suggested rewrites.