取り柄
Meanings
1
worth; merit; strong point; redeeming feature
Refers to a person's or thing's positive quality, talent, or redeeming feature. Often used in negative constructions like 取り柄がない (to have no redeeming qualities).
His only redeeming quality is his honesty.
This dish looks bad, but its strong point is the taste.
That person seems to have no merits at all.
Usage patterns
- 取り柄がないto have no redeeming qualities
He has no particular redeeming qualities.
- 〈事〉が唯一の取り柄だto be someone's/something's only redeeming feature
Being cheap is this shop's only redeeming point.
- 取り柄と言えば〈事〉if there's one merit, it's...
If there's one good point, it's that he's serious.