JLPT N4・N5 Vocabulary – “上手”&”得意”・”下手”&”苦手”
Table of Contents
1. “Jouzu” & “Tokui”・”Heta” & “Nigate”
2. “Jouzu” & “Tokui”
3. “Heta” & “Nigate”
4. Summary
5. Quiz
6. Similar Articles
7. Comment
Q: Are “Jouzu (上手)” and “Tokui (得意)”, “Heta (下手)” and “Nigate (苦手)” the same?
A: All these terms relate to skills and abilities, but there are subtle differences.
“Jouzu (上手)” and “Tokui (得意)”
Jouzu (上手)
The key point is a certain “ability,” and it represents having a high level of that ability.
It also serves as a direct expression of complimenting someone, carrying an objective nuance.
[Examples]
たろうさんはサッカーが上手です。
Taro is good at soccer.
⇒I objectively think that Taro is highly skilled at football.
「わぁ、おいしそうな料理。木村さん、料理が上手ですね。」
“Wow, that looks delicious. Mr. Kimura, You’re good at cooking!”
⇒ It implies not just praising the cooking skills but complimenting Mr. Kimura himself.
Tokui (得意)
This also represents a high level of “ability,” but focuses on “skills.”
It can be used about oneself or family members, encompassing a sense of interest and confidence in something.
Unlike “jouzu,” “tokui” is used subjectively, so it is the term to use when talking about yourself or family members.
[Examples]
たろうさんはサッカーが得意です。
Taro is good at football.
⇒ Slightly different from “jouzu,” it is less about praising Taro himself and more about complimenting his soccer skills.
わたしはサッカーが得意です。
I am good at football.
⇒ The speaker subjectively expresses confidence in their own soccer skills.
It is important to note that “jouzu” can be used towards others, but not towards oneself or family members. This is a very Japanese way of thinking, as using it about oneself can sound boastful. Additionally, it is not used with abstract terms like “study” or “work.” Instead, use it with specific terms such as “English” or “Japanese.”
“Heta (下手)” and “Nigate (苦手)”
“Heta” is the opposite of “jouzu,” indicating a lack of skill, while “nigate” means not being proficient. Although they seem simply like antonyms, they carry slightly different meanings.
We will explain each in detail.
Heta (下手)
“Jouzu” includes a connotation of complimenting someone, so it can be used towards others.
On the other hand, “heta” indicates a lack of skill, and using it towards others can be quite rude.
However, it can be used when referring to oneself or one’s own family.
[Examples]
× たろうさんはサッカーが下手です。
Taro is bad at football.
⇒ Since Taro is a third party, it sounds very rude.
〇 兄は料理が下手です。
My brother is bad at cooking.
⇒ Since he is my brother, it is acceptable to use “heta” to describe him.
Nigate (苦手)
It indicates not only a lack of proficiency (not being skilled) but also a lack of fondness for something. Additionally, it can be used when something is simply not liked, regardless of ability.
[Examples]
みきさんは数学が苦手で、いつもテストの点数が悪いです。
Miki struggles with math and always gets poor grades on tests.
⇒ “Nigate” can be used to describe oneself, family, or others, but care should be taken when using it directly towards a third party as it can be considered rude.
むすこはにんじんが苦手です。
My son doesn’t like carrots.
⇒ Since ‘carrots’ do not represent a skill, in this case, “nigate” means ‘not liking’ them.
Summary
- Jouzu is used to denote high skill levels and is employed when complimenting someone else (objective).
- Tokui focuses on ‘skills’. It is less about praising the person themselves and more about praising their specific skills. It can also be used when talking about oneself or family members (subjective).
- Heta is used to indicate low skill levels. It is very rude to use this term towards a third party.
- Nigate indicates a dislike or lack of proficiency in something. If the context does not involve ‘skills’, it translates to ‘not liking’ something.
- Care should be taken when using these terms related to skills when talking about others, as it can be very disrespectful.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 上手
トムさんは日本語が上手です。
Tom is good at Japanese.
*Since it is used towards a third party, “jouzu” is appropriate.
A. 苦手
わたしは人が多いところが苦手です。
I don’t like crowded places.
*Since “crowded places” are not a matter of ability, “nigate” is used.
A. 得意
わたしの姉はダンスが得意です。
My sister is good at dancing.
*Since it refers to ‘my’ sister, “tokui” is appropriate.
A. 下手
わたしは歌が下手です。
I’m bad at singing.
*Since it refers to oneself, “heta” is appropriate.
I’m having a look ahead in your subsequent publish, I’ll try to get the hang of
it!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the next post as well. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!