JLPT N4・N5 Vocabulary – “上手”&”得意”・”下手”&”苦手”

Table of Contents

1. “上手じょうず“&”得意とくい“・”下手へた“&”苦手にがて“
2. “上手じょうず“&”得意とくい“
3. “下手へた“&”苦手にがて“
4. Summary
5. Quiz
6. Similar Articles
7. Comments

Q: Do “上手じょうず” and “得意とくい,” and “下手へた” and “苦手にがて” mean the same thing?

A: They all relate to ability or skill, but their meanings and how they are used differ slightly.

“上手じょうず” and “得意とくい“

[上手じょうず]
“上手じょうず” describes having a high level of ability in a certain skill.
It is also often used when complimenting someone directly, giving it a more objective nuance.

[Examples]　
たろうさんはサッカーが上手じょうずです。
Taro is good at soccer.
⇒ The speaker is looking at Taro objectively and thinks his soccer ability is high.

「わぁ、おいしそうな料理りょうり。木村きむらさん、料理りょうりが上手じょうずですね。」
“Wow, that looks delicious. Mr. Kimura, You’re good at cooking!”
⇒ The speaker is complimenting Mr. Kimura himself, not just the quality of the dish.

[得意とくい]
“得意とくい” also expresses having a high level of ability or skill, but it focuses more on the skill itself and carries nuances of confidence or personal interest.
Because “得意とくい” is a subjective expression, it sounds natural when talking about yourself or your family.

[Examples]
たろうさんはサッカーが得意とくいです。
Taro is good at football.
⇒ This evaluates his skill or strength itself.
　　
わたしはサッカーが得意とくいです。
I am good at football.
⇒ This expresses that I feel confident in my soccer ability.

[Key points]
“上手じょうず” can be used for third persons, but when used for yourself or your family, it may sound like you are bragging in Japanese.
Also, “上手じょうず” is used with concrete skills such as “英語えいご,” “日本にほん語ご,” “ピアノ,” or “サッカー.”
For more abstract words like “勉強べんきょう” or “仕事しごと,” the more natural choice is “得意とくい.”

“下手へた” and “苦手にがて”

“下手へた” is generally the opposite of “上手じょうず,” and “苦手にがて” is the opposite of “得意とくい,” but their usage differs slightly.

[下手へた]
“下手へた” expresses that someone does not have a high level of skill or technique.
However, because it can sound like a negative or rude comment about a person, using it for a third party can be considered impolite.
It can be used naturally when referring to yourself or your family.

[Examples]
× たろうさんはサッカーが下手へたです。
　Taro is bad at football.
⇒ Taro is a third person, so this sounds quite rude in Japanese.

〇 兄あには料理りょうりが下手へたです。
　My brother is bad at cooking.
⇒ Because your brother is a family member, it is acceptable to use “下手へた.”

[苦手にがて]
“苦手にがて” is used in two main ways:
1 Someone does not have a high level of ability (＝not 得意とくい).
2 Someone simply does not like something.

[Examples]
みきさんは数学すうがくが苦手にがてで、いつもテストの点数てんすうが悪わるいです。
Miki struggles with math and always gets poor grades on tests.
⇒ “苦手にがて” can be used for yourself, your family, or a third person, but using it directly about a third person can still sound impolite, so caution is needed.

むすこはにんじんが苦手にがてです。
My son doesn’t like carrots.
⇒ Since carrots are not a “skill,” “苦手にがて” here means “doesn’t like.”

Summary

[上手じょうず]

• Indicates a high level of skill.
• Used mainly when praising a third person (objective nuance).
• Not commonly used for yourself or your family.

[得意とくい]

• Focuses on ability or strengths.
• Carries a nuance of confidence or personal interest.
• Can be used for yourself, your family, and third persons (subjective expression).

[下手へた]

• Indicates low skill level.
• Considered rude when used about a third person.
• Can be used about yourself or your family.

[苦手にがて]

• Means “not good at” or “dislike.”
• Used for both abilities and preferences.
• When saying it directly to someone about them, caution is needed.

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.

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