Translation guide
Describes someone who understands or learns things quickly, often in conversation or new situations.
To say someone grasps new ideas, jokes, or instructions without needing repeated explanation.
Literally 'swallowing is fast', this is the most common and natural way to say someone is quick on the uptake. Used for learning, understanding instructions, or catching on to things.
彼は飲み込みが早いから、すぐに仕事を覚えた。
He's quick on the uptake, so he learned the job right away.
More direct, meaning 'understanding is fast'. Slightly more formal or written than 飲み込みが早い.
To describe someone who gets jokes, sarcasm, or subtle hints immediately.
Means 'jokes get through', i.e., the person understands humor. Often used in negative form for someone who doesn't get jokes.
彼は冗談が通じるから、話していて楽しい。
He's quick on the uptake with jokes, so he's fun to talk to.
飲み込みが早い is more colloquial and implies a natural ability to grasp things intuitively. 理解が早い is more straightforward and can be used in formal contexts. Both are common, but 飲み込みが早い is the go-to phrase for 'quick on the uptake'.
Do not translate 'quick on the uptake' word-for-word. Phrases like 早く取り込む or 取り込みが早い are not used in this sense and will cause confusion.
彼女は本当に飲み込みが早いから、どんな仕事でも大丈夫だよ。
She's really quick on the uptake, so she'll be fine in any job.
ここで働くには飲み込みの早さが必要だ。
You need to be quick on the uptake to work here.
彼女は理解が早くて、説明が一度で済む。
She's quick on the uptake, so one explanation is enough.
Means perceptive or quick to sense what's going on without being told. Often used for picking up on unspoken feelings or situations.
彼は察しがいいから、空気を読むのが上手だ。
He's quick on the uptake, so he's good at reading the room.
Literally 'head rotation is fast', meaning quick-witted or sharp. Emphasizes mental speed in thinking or responding.
あの子は頭の回転が速くて、どんな質問にもすぐ答える。
That kid is quick on the uptake and answers any question immediately.
Specifically about learning or memorizing things quickly. More about retention than immediate understanding.
彼は物覚えがいいから、新しいソフトの使い方をすぐマスターする。
He's quick on the uptake, so he masters new software quickly.
Used when someone catches on quickly in conversation, often meaning 'you're quick to understand what I'm getting at'.
話が早くて助かるよ。
You're quick on the uptake, that helps a lot.
Means having good intuition or being quick to guess correctly. Often used for picking up on hints or unspoken things.
彼女は勘がいいから、私が何を言いたいかすぐ分かった。
She's quick on the uptake, so she immediately understood what I wanted to say.