器 用(きよう)な

きような

na-adjective

skillful; dexterous; handy; clever with one's hands

1. skillful; dexterous; handy; clever with one's hands

Describes someone who is good with their hands or skilled at performing tasks that require manual dexterity or practical ability.

彼(かれ)は手先(てさき)が器用(きよう)だ。

He is good with his hands.

器用(きよう)に箸(はし)を使(つか)って豆(まめ)をつまむ。

To skillfully pick up beans with chopsticks.

母(はは)は器用(きよう)な人(ひと)で、料理(りょうり)も裁縫(さいほう)もなんでもできる。

My mother is handy — she can do everything from cooking to sewing.

2. versatile; able to handle things smoothly

Describes someone who can adapt to various situations and handle different tasks competently, sometimes with a nuance of being too slick or superficial.

彼(かれ)は器用(きよう)になんでもこなす。

He handles everything capably.

器用(きよう)に話題(わだい)を変(か)えた。

He smoothly changed the subject.

器用貧乏(きようびんぼう)で、何(なに)をやってもそこそこだが、一(ひと)つのことを極(きわ)められない。

He's a jack-of-all-trades — decent at everything but unable to master any one thing.

Primarily describes manual dexterity, but extends to general competence and adaptability. The opposite is 不器用(ぶきよう) (clumsy, awkward).

Common collocations

手先(てさき)が器用(きよう): good with one's hands
器用(きよう)な人(ひと): a handy/skilled person
器用(きよう)にこなす: to handle skillfully
器用貧乏(きようびんぼう): jack-of-all-trades, master of none

Similar words

上手(じょうず)な: good at / skilled — more general term for being good at something
巧(たく)みな: skillful / masterful — literary; implies artistic or refined skill
不器用(ぶきよう)な: clumsy / awkward — the direct antonym

Cultural note

The compound 器用貧乏(きようびんぼう) (literally "skilled poverty") describes someone who can do many things well but never excels at one, carrying a slightly negative nuance. It reflects the Japanese cultural value of mastering one craft deeply rather than being a generalist.

Related Words

Compare: 上手(じょうず) (good at / skilled)

Compare: 巧(たく)み (skillful / masterful)

Compare: 手際(てぎわ)が良(よ)い (skillful)

general

Added 2026.4.6 19:41 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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