1.
masterful skill; virtuoso performance; expert technique
an exceptionally skilled performance or technique that only a master could pull off
まさに名人芸だ。
That's truly a masterful performance.
あの職人の包丁さばきは名人芸だ。
That craftsman's knife work is a display of masterful skill.
長年の経験に裏打ちされた名人芸で、複雑な修理をあっという間にやってのけた。
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: truly a masterful feat
- 名人芸を見せる: to demonstrate masterful skill
- 名人芸と言える: can be called a virtuoso performance
ETYMOLOGY:
Composed of 名人 (master, expert) and 芸 (art, skill, performance). Literally, an art that only a master can perform.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 職人芸: artisan's craft — similar but specifically about manual craftsmanship
- 匠の技: master's technique — more literary, often used in media about traditional crafts
- 神業: godlike skill — even more extreme praise, implying something almost superhuman