1.
communication skills; interpersonal skills
The ability to communicate effectively with others, including speaking, listening, reading social cues, and building relationships. Highly valued in Japanese society and frequently cited as a key trait in job recruitment.
In job hunting, communication skills are considered the most important quality.
A compound of the loanword コミュニケーション (communication) and 能力 (ability). Extremely frequently abbreviated to コミュ力 (komyuryoku) or simply コミュ力 in casual speech and writing.
Common abbreviation
コミュ力 (komyuryoku) — the standard informal abbreviation, widely used in everyday conversation, social media, and business contexts.
Common collocations
- コミュニケーション能力が高い/低い — to have high/low communication skills
- コミュニケーション能力を磨く — to polish one's communication skills
- コミュニケーション能力を高める — to improve communication skills
- コミュニケーション能力を問う — to assess communication ability
Related words
- コミュ障 — communication difficulties (slang, short for コミュニケーション障害; used self-deprecatingly for social awkwardness)
- 対人能力 — interpersonal ability
- 社交性 — sociability
- 話術 — art of conversation; speaking skills
Cultural note
Japanese employers consistently rank コミュニケーション能力 as the most desired quality in new graduates. In the Japanese context, this encompasses not just speaking ability but also the capacity to read the atmosphere (空気を読む), collaborate harmoniously, and express oneself with appropriate sensitivity to social context.
Related Words
Related:
社交性 (sociability)
Related:
話術 (art of conversation)
Compare:
会話力 (conversational ability)
Compare:
言語能力 (language ability)