上手
じょうず
be good at, skillful
na-adjective
Conjugation Table
Present
上手だ
Negative
上手じゃない
Past
上手だった
Past Negative
上手じゃなかった
Te Form
上手で
Adverbial
上手に
Conditional
上手なら
Presumptive
上手でしょう
Example Sentences
彼はギターが上手です。
He is good at playing the guitar.
Kare wa gitā ga jōzu desu.
彼女は歌が上手だった。
She was good at singing.
Kanojo wa uta ga jōzu datta.
私はダンスが上手じゃない。
I am not good at dancing.
Watashi wa dansu ga jōzu janai.
Grammar Notes & Usage Tips
•Particle Pairing**: When using 上手 (じょうず) to say someone is good at something, remember to pair it with the particle が. For example, "彼は料理が上手です" (かれはりょうりがじょうずです) means "He is good at cooking."
•Na-Adjective Behavior**: As a na-adjective, 上手 needs to be followed by な when it comes before a noun. For example, "上手な歌手" (じょうずなかしゅ) means "a skillful singer."
•Cultural Sensitivity**: In Japanese culture, it's more common to use 上手 to compliment others rather than yourself. Instead of saying "私は日本語が上手です" (わたしはにほんごがじょうずです), try "日本語はまだまだです" (にほんごはまだまだです) to show humility.
•Comparative Context**: When comparing skills, remember that 上手 can be used in a comparative sentence: "彼は私よりピアノが上手です" (かれはわたしよりピアノがじょうずです), meaning "He is better at piano than I am."
•な-adjective: Uses な before nouns, conjugates like a noun