〜が上手 / 〜が苦手

〜が上手 / 〜が苦手 is an adjective pattern expressing good at / bad at ~. Japanese adjectives conjugate for tense and negation unlike English adjectives, making them more similar to verbs. Understanding adjective patterns allows you to describe qualities, states, and degrees with precision.

This is a foundational pattern that you will use from day one of your Japanese studies.

When to Use#

• When describing skill level at an activity
• When expressing what someone is good or bad at

When NOT to Use#

• In very formal writing where a more sophisticated expression would be expected

Example Sentences#

• 泳ぐのが得意です。 — I am good at swimming.
• 踊るのが苦手です。 — I am not good at dancing.
• 母は料理が上手です。 — My mother cooks well.

Practice#

Try reading these sentences aloud, then check the translation and vocabulary:

Common Mistakes#

1. Direct translation from English — The concept expressed by 〜が上手 / 〜が苦手 may not map one-to-one with its English translation. Focus on understanding the Japanese usage through example sentences rather than relying on the English gloss.