Translation guide
Describes someone with natural ability or skill. Japanese uses various adjectives and nouns depending on the domain (arts, sports, academics, etc.) and the nuance (innate talent vs. developed skill).
She is really talented.
He has a talent for music.
Means 'competent' or 'capable'. Emphasizes practical ability and effectiveness, often in professional or academic contexts.
He is a talented/capable engineer.
Means 'excellent' or 'superior'. Often used for outstanding talent or performance, especially in academics or work.
She is a talented/outstanding student.
Means 'genius-level'. Used for exceptional, prodigious talent. Stronger than 'talented'.
His performance is genius/talented on a genius level.
Specifically for talent in arts, music, drawing, writing, etc.
Means 'has good sense/taste'. Commonly used for artistic flair, fashion sense, or creative intuition.
She has a good sense of style (is talented in fashion).
That designer is really talented (has great taste).
Literally 'has artistic talent'. More formal and specific to fine arts.
Means 'good at drawing/painting'. A simple, direct way to say someone is talented at visual art.
She's talented at drawing, isn't she?
Describing talent in sports, dance, or physical activities.
Literally 'has good motor nerves'. The most common way to say someone is naturally athletic or coordinated.
He's talented athletically, so he gets good at any sport quickly.
Directly means 'has sports talent'. Clear and straightforward.
Means 'has high physical ability'. More formal, often used in scouting or analysis.
Referring to a talented individual as a noun.
Literally 'a person with talent'. The most neutral and common noun phrase.
He is a truly talented person.
Means 'capable human resource'. Used in business or organizational contexts to refer to talented personnel.
Means 'genius'. Use only for exceptionally talented people, often prodigies.
才能がある (sainō ga aru) means 'has innate talent', while 上手い (umai) means 'is skilled (at a specific thing)'. You can be 上手い without 才能 if you worked hard, but 才能がある implies natural ability.
He is good at piano, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is talented.
There is no single Japanese adjective that directly corresponds to 'talented' in all contexts. Using タレンテッド (tarenteddo) as a loanword is very rare and unnatural. Instead, use the phrases above depending on the type of talent.
He is blessed with artistic talent.
She has a talent for sports.
He has high physical talent and a promising future.
The company is looking for talented individuals.
彼は数学の天才だ。
He is a math genius (extremely talented).