Japanese Conversation · Level 22
90 words
Japanese word
得意
Pronunciation
Romajitokui
Meaning
- na-adjectivegood at, good at ___
Example
彼は数学が得意です。kare wa sū gaku ga toku i de su
He is good at math.
More examples
私は歌が得意です。watashi wa uta ga toku i de su
I am good at singing.
子どもたちは絵を描くのが得意です。ko do mo ta chi wa e o ega ku no ga toku i de su
The children are good at drawing pictures.
Core concept
Describes a field or activity in which someone has developed the ability and confidence to perform well.
Common phrases
スポーツが得意su pō tsu ga toku i
good at sports
歌が得意uta ga toku i
good at singing
得意なことtoku i na ko to
thing one is good at
Similar words
上手jōzu: Describes a person who performs a particular activity skillfully.
Definition in Japanese
ある分野や事柄に習熟し、うまくできること。a ru bun ya ya koto gara ni shū juku shi u ma ku de ki ru ko to
Word origin
得意 (tokui) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 得 (toku, "gain") and 意 (i, "intention"), with its modern sense referring to a field in which someone performs well.
Usage tips
- In everyday Japanese, 得意 (tokui) often describes a person's strong subject or skill, while 上手 (jōzu) more often describes how well someone performs a specific activity.