Components

Grammar detail: うまい and うまく

うまい and うまく  delicious / going well
116 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
Grammar games:
GRAMMAR MATCH
SENTENCE BUILDER
BOOST
is a useful adjective which can be used in many situations to mean something positive.
With food, it means 'delicious' — a level up from :
なっとう
納豆
くさい
うま
美味

Although natto smells awful, it is delicious.
With activities, it means skillful:
ちち
くるま
うんてん
運転
とてもうまい
My father drives very well.
Very commonly it is combined with いく (go) to make meaning 'go well' or 'be doing well':
かぞく
家族
みなさんうまくいっています
How's it going with your family?
Most forms are typically written with kana only. However, when describing food, it is not uncommon to see 美味い (combining the kanji for 'beautiful' and 'flavor'). When referring to skills, the form 上手い is often used - note that alone is the standard way of writing じょうず (good at something). When in the compound phrase うまくいく, various kanji forms exist, including 旨く行く.
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Kanji used in this grammar

ビ   うつくしい beautiful   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ミ   あじ taste   あじわう to taste   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼ to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼ to bring up   
シュ   hand   て    た-    
シ   むね content; purport   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ノウ   ナッ   ナ   ナン   トウ payment, settlement   おさめる to supply   おさまる to be installed   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
トウ   ズ   まめ bean   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
フ   ちち father   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シャ   くるま car   
ウン   carry; luck   はこ to carry   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
テン   ころがる to roll (intr.)   ころがす to roll (tr.)   ころげる to roll about   ころ to fall over   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
カ   ケ   house   いえ    や    
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ゾク    tribe   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×