How to say “good at” in Japanese

上手

じょうずjōzu

な-adjectiveJLPT N5Adjectives

The short answer

“Good at” in Japanese is 上手 (じょうず), pronounced jōzu.

Pronunciation

The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:

How to use it

Skilled or good at. Used to praise others; about yourself, say 得意 (tokui).

Example sentences

日本語が上手ですね。にほんごがじょうずですね。
Your Japanese is good!
母は料理が上手です。はははりょうりがじょうずです。
My mother is a good cook.

Conjugation

The most useful forms of 上手. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.

Form	Japanese	Meaning
Before a noun	上手な〜じょうずな〜	good at (thing)
Polite present	上手ですじょうずです	is good at
Negative	上手じゃないですじょうずじゃないです	isn’t good at
Past	上手でしたじょうずでした	was good at
Past negative	上手じゃなかったですじょうずじゃなかったです	wasn’t good at
Adverb (に)	上手にじょうずに	adverb form (+ verb)

Quick practice

Test yourself0/3

What does {{上手}} mean?
How do you read {{上手}}?
Which word means “old”?

下手bad at 大切important 危ないdangerous 安全safe 大きいbig 小さいsmall 新しいnew 古いold

FAQ

How do you say good at in Japanese?

Good at in Japanese is 上手 (じょうず), pronounced “jōzu”.

How do you write good at in Japanese?

It's written 上手 with kanji, or じょうず in hiragana. Both are read jōzu.

Is 上手 on the JLPT?

Yes. 上手 (jōzu) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.