noun
go-getter; capable person; shrewd operator
Describes someone who is proactive, effective, and often shrewd in getting things done. Can carry a slightly aggressive or calculating nuance depending on context.
彼は営業のやり手で、いつもトップの成績だ。
He's a go-getter in sales and always has the top results.
あのやり手の政治家は、難しい法案を通した。
That shrewd politician got the difficult bill passed.
noun
Refers to someone who carries out an action, often in contrast to a passive or theoretical role. Less common than sense 1 in everyday speech.
計画を立てる人と、実際のやり手は違うことが多い。
The person who makes the plan and the actual doer are often different.
noun
giver; bestower
Rare, somewhat literary use for someone who gives or bestows something. Often seen in fixed expressions or older texts.
この賞のやり手は、毎年変わる。
The giver of this award changes every year.
noun
brothel madam
Historical term for a woman who managed a brothel. Now archaic and rarely encountered outside historical contexts.
See also: 遣り手婆 (やりてばば)
江戸時代、やり手は遊郭を取り仕切っていた。
In the Edo period, the brothel madam ran the pleasure quarters.
Search-only form; not used in normal writing.
有能 is an adjective meaning 'competent' or 'capable', focusing on ability rather than the proactive, sometimes shrewd nature of やり手.
敏腕 is a noun/adjective meaning 'able' or 'competent', often used in business contexts. It emphasizes skill and efficiency, while やり手 adds a nuance of assertiveness and results-orientation.
Compound of 遣り (yari, the continuative form of 遣る 'to do') + 手 (te, 'hand; person'). Literally 'doing hand/person', it originally referred to someone who carries out an action, later developing the sense of a capable or shrewd person.