上手

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 日本語が上手ですね。▶ —
   Your Japanese is good.
2. 料理が上手だ。▶ —
   I am good at cooking.

Collocations

Mnemonic

じょうず — 上手, a Sino-Japanese-based na-adjective. Unpack the two kanji ── 上 (upper) + 手 (hand) = 'a high hand' = high skill. The paired word is 下手 heta (unskilled) ── 上手 / 下手 split skill into an upper hand and a lower one. A particle trap ── '〜が上手'. Not the accusative of Korean '〜reul jalhada', but が. 日本語が上手ですね (your Japanese is good). A Japanese cultural code is lodged in this word ── when a Japanese person tells a foreigner 日本語が上手ですね, it is often a courteous greeting rather than a real assessment. The 謙遜 kenson (humility) code has the reply ready ── いいえ、まだまだです (no, I still have a long way to go). You lower yourself and raise the other. The meaning matches Korean 'jalhada', but 上手 carries, along with skill, the relationship between speaker and listener and the ritual of humility. The Korean readings sang / su are sister to the onyomi じょう / しゅ.

Quick check

1. Correct reply when a Japanese says "your Japanese is good" to a foreigner?

   • "Iie mada mada desu" (still long way to go) — the kenson code
   • "Arigatou" (thanks)
   • "Sou desu ne" (right)
   • "Shitte imasu" (I know)