上手

jōzu
adjectiveIntermediate
formalinformal

Skillful, proficient, or good at something

彼はピアノが上手だ

He is good at playing the piano

上手に料理を作る

To cook skillfully

💡

Often used to compliment someone's ability in a specific skill or activity

formaltechnical

Upstream (in a river or stream)

上手の方から下手の方へ流れる

The water flows from upstream to downstream

💡

Less common meaning, often seen in geographical or technical contexts

Collocations

上手にskillfully上手なskillful

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

上手にやるphrase
to do something well
上手な人phrase
a skilled person

💡Pro Tip

Complimenting someone

Use '上手ですね' to politely compliment someone's skill in a respectful manner.

Gold Rule

Context matters

The meaning can vary based on context—always consider whether it's referring to skill or direction (upstream).

📖Word Origin

Combination of '上' (above, upstream) and '手' (hand), originally referring to the upstream side of a river where the water is clearer and the fishing is better, hence 'skillful'

📝Usage Notes

Can be used as a na-adjective (上手だ) or as a noun (上手). The opposite is '下手' (bad at, unskillful).

Word Breakdown

above, upstream
root
+
hand, skill
root
和英辞典