名人芸(めいじんげい)

めいじんげい
noun
masterful skill; virtuoso performance; expert technique
cultureevaluation
1. masterful skill; virtuoso performance; expert technique
an exceptionally skilled performance or technique that only a master could pull off
まさに名人芸(めいじんげい)だ。
That's truly a masterful performance.
あの職人(しょくにん)の包丁(ほうちょう)さばきは名人芸(めいじんげい)だ。
That craftsman's knife work is a display of masterful skill.
長年(ながねん)の経験(けいけん)に裏打(うらう)ちされた名人芸(めいじんげい)で、複雑(ふくざつ)な修理(しゅうり)をあっという間(ま)にやってのけた。
Backed by years of experience, he completed the complex repair in no time with masterful skill.

Describes an extraordinary skill that appears effortless but is the product of deep expertise. Often used admiringly for traditional craftspeople, performers, athletes, and professionals whose technique is so refined it seems almost magical.

Common collocations

  • まさに名人芸(めいじんげい): truly a masterful feat
  • 名人芸(めいじんげい)を見(み)せる: to demonstrate masterful skill
  • 名人芸(めいじんげい)と言(い)える: can be called a virtuoso performance

Etymology

Composed of 名人(めいじん) (master, expert) and 芸(げい) (art, skill, performance). Literally, an art that only a master can perform.

Similar words

  • 職人芸(しょくにんげい): artisan's craft — similar but specifically about manual craftsmanship
  • 匠(たくみ)の技(わざ): master's technique — more literary, often used in media about traditional crafts
  • 神業(かみわざ): godlike skill — even more extreme praise, implying something almost superhuman

Related Words

Compare: 神業(かみわざ) (godlike skill)
general
Added 2026.4.26 20:23 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
25500/25577_meijingei