{"id":1741,"date":"2026-05-01T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/?p=1741"},"modified":"2026-04-10T03:22:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T03:22:53","slug":"how-to-say-youre-good-or-bad-at-something-in-japanese-using-%e4%b8%8a%e6%89%8b-and-%e4%b8%8b%e6%89%8b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/japanese\/how-to-say-youre-good-or-bad-at-something-in-japanese-using-%e4%b8%8a%e6%89%8b-and-%e4%b8%8b%e6%89%8b\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say You\u2019re Good or Bad at Something in Japanese Using \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n If you\u2019re learning Japanese, you\u2019ll quickly notice two words that come up again and again when talking about skill or ability:\n \u4e0a\u624b<\/strong> and \u4e0b\u624b<\/strong>.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n These words are simple, common, and very Japanese\u2014but they can also be a little tricky. That\u2019s because they don\u2019t work exactly the same way\n as the English words \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad.\u201d\n <\/p>\n\n

\n In this article, you\u2019ll learn what \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b really mean, how to use them correctly, and how to avoid some common mistakes learners often make.\n <\/p>\n <\/header>\n\n

\n

What Are \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b?<\/h2>\n\n

Simply put, \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b describe how skilled someone is at doing something.<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • \u4e0a\u624b<\/strong>\uff08\u3058\u3087\u3046\u305a\uff09 = good at something, skillful<\/li>\n
  • \u4e0b\u624b<\/strong>\uff08\u3078\u305f\uff09 = bad at something, unskillful<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n\n

    These words are used to talk about skills, not about objects, food, or ideas.<\/p>\n\n

    Typical things you can use \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b for include:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • Speaking a language<\/li>\n
    • Playing a musical instrument<\/li>\n
    • Cooking<\/li>\n
    • Sports<\/li>\n
    • Drawing<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/section>\n\n
      \n

      Basic Sentence Pattern<\/h2>\n\n

      The most basic sentence pattern using \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b looks like this:<\/p>\n\n

      Noun \u304c \u4e0a\u624b \/ \u4e0b\u624b \u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

      \n

      Examples<\/h2>\n\n

      \n \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (You\u2019re good at Japanese.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n \u7d75\u304c\u4e0b\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (I\u2019m bad at drawing.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n Notice that the thing you are good or bad at is marked with \u304c<\/strong>, not \u3092<\/strong>.\n This is a very common point of confusion for learners.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

      \n

      Talking About Yourself (A Word of Caution)<\/h2>\n\n

      \n In Japanese culture, directly praising your own ability can sound a bit arrogant. Because of this, people often avoid saying\n \u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059 about themselves.\n <\/p>\n\n

      If you want to say you\u2019re good at something while still sounding modest, here are some natural alternatives:<\/p>\n\n

      \n \u3042\u307e\u308a\u4e0a\u624b\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (I\u2019m not very good.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n Interestingly, saying \u4e0b\u624b\u3067\u3059 about yourself is perfectly acceptable and often sounds humble.\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n \u6b4c\u304c\u4e0b\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (I\u2019m not very good at singing.)\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

      \n

      Complimenting Others with \u4e0a\u624b<\/h2>\n\n

      This is where \u4e0a\u624b really shines.<\/p>\n\n

      When you want to compliment someone\u2019s ability or skill, \u4e0a\u624b is the go-to word.<\/p>\n\n

      Examples<\/h3>\n\n

      \n \u30d4\u30a2\u30ce\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059\u306d\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (You\u2019re good at the piano.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (Your Japanese is good.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      Adding \u306d at the end makes the compliment sound warmer and more natural.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

      \n

      \u4e0a\u624b vs \u597d\u304d (Good At vs Like)<\/h2>\n\n

      One very common beginner mistake is confusing \u4e0a\u624b with \u597d\u304d. These two words are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n

      \n \u6599\u7406\u304c\u597d\u304d\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (I like cooking.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n \u6599\u7406\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
      \n (I\u2019m good at cooking.)\n <\/p>\n\n

      \n You can love doing something and still be bad at it\u2014and Japanese makes that distinction very clear.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

      \n

      Polite and Casual Forms<\/h2>\n\n

      You\u2019ll hear \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b in both polite and casual speech.<\/p>\n\n

        \n
      • \u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059 \/ \u4e0b\u624b\u3067\u3059<\/strong> (polite)<\/li>\n
      • \u4e0a\u624b\u3060 \/ \u4e0b\u624b\u3060<\/strong> (casual)<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n\n

        Examples<\/h3>\n\n

        \n \u5f7c\u306f\u30b5\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u3060\u3002<\/strong>
        \n (He\u2019s good at soccer.)\n <\/p>\n\n

        \n \u79c1\u306f\u30c0\u30f3\u30b9\u304c\u4e0b\u624b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong>
        \n (I\u2019m not very good at dancing.)\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

        \n

        A Cultural Note Worth Knowing<\/h2>\n\n

        \n When someone compliments you by saying \u4e0a\u624b\u3067\u3059\u306d, the expected response is modest rather than enthusiastic.\n <\/p>\n\n

        Common replies include:<\/p>\n\n

          \n
        • \u3044\u3048\u3044\u3048\u3002<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • \u307e\u3060\u307e\u3060\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n\n

          \n Saying \u300c\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\uff01\u300d isn\u2019t wrong, but responding modestly sounds more natural and shows good Japanese manners.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

          \n

          Quick Summary<\/h2>\n\n
            \n
          • \u4e0a\u624b<\/strong>\uff08\u3058\u3087\u3046\u305a\uff09 = good at a skill<\/li>\n
          • \u4e0b\u624b<\/strong>\uff08\u3078\u305f\uff09 = bad at a skill<\/li>\n
          • Use these words for skills, not objects<\/li>\n
          • Use \u304c<\/strong>, not \u3092<\/strong><\/li>\n
          • When talking about yourself, sounding modest is best<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            If you\u2019re learning Japanese, you\u2019ll quickly notice two words that come up again and again when talking about skill or ability: \u4e0a\u624b and \u4e0b\u624b. These words are simple, common, and very Japanese\u2014but they can also be a little tricky. That\u2019s because they don\u2019t work exactly the same way as the English words \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t