Japanese Conversation · Level 59
75 words
Japanese word
上手
Pronunciation
Romajijōzu
Meaning
- na-adjectivegood at
Example
姉は歌が上手です。ane wa uta ga jō zu de su
My older sister is good at singing.
More examples
妹は絵が上手です。imōto wa e ga jō zu de su
My younger sister is good at drawing.
妹はピアノを上手に弾きます。imōto wa pi a no o jō zu ni hi ki ma su
My younger sister plays the piano well.
Core concept
Describes having enough skill and control to perform an activity smoothly.
Common phrases
上手に話すjō zu ni hana su
speak well
上手に書くjō zu ni ka ku
write well
Similar words
得意tokui: Describing a skill or activity that a person handles especially well.
器用kiyō: Having skill in using the hands or doing practical tasks.
Definition in Japanese
ある技能や物事の扱いに習熟し、うまくできるさま。a ru gi nō ya mono goto no atsuka i ni shū juku shi u ma ku de ki ru sa ma
Word origin
上手 (jōzu, "skillful") combines 上 (jō, "upper") and 手 (te, "hand"), with its sense developing from having the upper hand to being skilled.
Usage tips
- In Japanese, 上手に (jōzu ni) commonly modifies a verb, while English good at usually comes before a noun or an -ing form.