うまい · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | うまい | うまくない |
| Polite | うまいです | うまくないですalso うまくありません |
| Past polite | うまかったです | うまくなかったですalso うまくありませんでした |
| Past | うまかった | うまくなかった |
| Te-form | うまくて | うまくなくて |
| Adverbial | うまく | |
| Conditional | うまければ | うまくなければ |
| Tara conditional | うまかったら | うまくなかったら |
Describes a person's skill or the quality of a performance, trick, or expression. Often used with のが or のが上手い.
He is good at cooking.
あの選手は本当にうまいね。
That player is really skilled, isn't he?
Casual and common way to say food or drink tastes good. Slightly masculine or informal compared to おいしい.
このラーメン、すごくうまい！
This ramen is really delicious!
今日の魚は特にうまい。
Today's fish is especially tasty.
good (deal, idea); profitable; lucky
Used for favorable situations, good opportunities, or profitable outcomes. Often appears in set phrases like うまい話 (a deal too good to be true) or うまい具合に (luckily).
うまい話には裏がある。
There's a catch to every good deal.
うまい具合に電車がすぐ来た。
Luckily, the train came right away.
He's good at soccer.
You should be careful of deals that sound too good to be true.
She's good at singing.
Luckily, I made it in time for the train.
うまい directly states that food tastes good, while いける is a softer, more casual way of saying something looks or seems appealing.
下手 means 'unskillful' or 'clumsy', the direct opposite of うまい when describing ability.
まずい means 'bad-tasting' or 'unappetizing', the direct opposite of うまい when describing food or drink.
上手い is a casual way to say someone is skilled or good at something, contrasting with the insulting 下手くそ.
甘い (あまい) and うまい sound similar but 甘い specifically means 'sweet', not 'delicious in general' or 'skillful'.
上手 (じょうず, na-adjective) and 上手い (うまい, i-adjective) share the same kanji and a similar meaning of 'skillful', but 上手い also means 'delicious' and conjugates differently.
上手 (うわて) is used in comparative expressions like 一枚上手 to mean 'one level above', while 上手い (うまい) is the everyday adjective simply meaning 'skillful' or 'delicious'.
うまい is the adjective meaning 'delicious' or 'skillful,' while 旨味 is the related noun naming the quality of savoriness or appeal itself.
skillfully; well; cleverly · successfully; smoothly · deliciously
crude but charming; seemingly unskilled yet captivating
Less common kanji for 'skillful', emphasizing cleverness or ingenuity.
Rare kanji for 'delicious'; normally read あまい (sweet). Use with caution to avoid confusion.
Rarely used kanji form for 'delicious'.