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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
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
Use '上手ですね' to politely compliment someone's skill in a respectful manner.
The meaning can vary based on context—always consider whether it's referring to skill or direction (upstream).
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'
Can be used as a na-adjective (上手だ) or as a noun (上手). The opposite is '下手' (bad at, unskillful).