Translation guide
Describes someone who is skilled, talented, or capable. Japanese has several common words for this, each with different nuances and levels of formality.
He is a person of ability.
A very common, slightly casual way to say 'competent person'. Often used in workplace contexts.
That person is really capable, isn't he?
A more formal, written term for 'person of ability'. Often used in business or official contexts.
The company is seeking persons of ability.
To emphasize natural talent or giftedness rather than just competence.
To refer to someone with specialized skills or expertise.
Means 'excellent person', often implying high ability and performance. Common in academic and professional settings.
He is a person of ability (excellent human resource).
Means 'master' or 'expert'. Used for someone who has reached a high level of skill in a particular field.
有能 (yūnō) is more formal and often used in writing or evaluations. できる (dekiru) is casual and commonly used in spoken Japanese to describe someone who is competent or gets things done.
The phrase 'person of ability' is not a direct idiom in Japanese. It's better to use the adjectives and nouns above rather than trying to translate word-for-word.
He is known as a person of ability.
彼は料理の達人だ。
He is a master of cooking (a person of ability in cooking).