堪能|たんのうtannou[0]heiban (flat)

Common
Definitions
  1. na-adjective, nounproficient; skilled; skillful; good; accomplished
    彼女かのじょはフランス語ふらんすごが堪能たんのうだ。↗
    She is proficient in French.
  2. noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbenjoying to the full; full satisfaction; being satiated (with); having one's fill (of)
    ファン・ドーゲンの展覧会てんらんかいを十分じゅうぶん堪能たんのうしてきたよ。↗
    I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Van Dorgen Exhibition.
Conjugation
Dictionary form堪能する(たんのうする)
Polite (masu)堪能します(たんのうします)
Negative (nai)堪能しない(たんのうしない)
polite (masen)堪能しません(たんのうしません)
classical zu / nu堪能せず・堪能せぬ(たんのうせず・たんのうせぬ)
Past (ta)堪能した(たんのうした)
polite (mashita)堪能しました(たんのうしました)
Past negative (nakatta)堪能しなかった(たんのうしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)堪能しませんでした(たんのうしませんでした)
Te form堪能して(たんのうして)
Potential堪能できる(たんのうできる)
Passive堪能される(たんのうされる)
Causative堪能させる(たんのうさせる)
Causative passive堪能させられる(たんのうさせられる)
Conditional (ba)堪能すれば(たんのうすれば)
tara堪能したら(たんのうしたら)
Volitional堪能しよう(たんのうしよう)
polite (mashou)堪能しましょう(たんのうしましょう)
Imperative堪能しろ(たんのうしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym老練ろうれんWrittenFormal written word for a seasoned veteran who handles things with polish; lacks the enjoy-to-the-full sense of 「堪能」.
  • Synonym巧みたくみNeutralStresses clever, adroit technique, as in 「巧みな話術」; 「堪能」 stresses deep, well-rounded mastery of a field.
  • Synonym上手じょうずNeutralThe everyday word for being good at something; 「堪能」 suggests deep attainment, e.g. in languages, and sounds more formal.
  • Synonym熟練じゅくれんNeutralNoun and suru verb for skill built up through long practice; used mostly of crafts and hands-on operations.
  • Synonym有能ゆうのうNeutralCapable and competent; stresses getting work done well, often said of professionals on the job.
  • Synonym熟練したじゅくれんしたNeutralSkilled after long experience; said mostly of workers and technicians. Unlike 「堪能」, it never covers enjoying something to the full.
  • Synonym腕利きうでききCasualColloquial word for a highly skilled hand, mostly of people, as in 「腕利きの職人」; strongly conversational flavor.
  • Synonym腕っこきうでっこきCasualA capable, competent person; even more casual than 「腕利き」, used in speech to praise someone.
  • Synonym熟達じゅくたつWrittenWritten word for mastery; stresses having progressed to a high level of skill.
  • RelatedうまいCasualEveryday colloquial word for doing something well; also means tasty. Much more casual than 「堪能」.
  • Related巧妙こうみょうNeutralPraises ingenious methods or devices; evaluates the cleverness of the means, not a person's overall ability.
  • Related流暢りゅうちょうNeutralFluent, smooth speech, as in 「流暢な英語」; 「堪能」 judges overall command of a language.
  • Related多才たさいNeutralMany-sided talent; stresses versatility across fields rather than mastery of one.
  • Related慣れたなれたNeutralFamiliar from doing something many times; stresses experience and does not necessarily amount to mastery.
  • Related老巧ろうこうWrittenSeasoned, polished skill from long experience; rare even in formal prose — say 「老練」 in everyday use.
  • Antonym不足ふそくNeutralShortage or lack; also dissatisfaction — the opposite of 「堪能」's full satisfaction and mastery.

Use 「堪能」 for deep proficiency in a field such as a language (「英語に堪能だ」) or for enjoying food or scenery to the full (「料理を堪能する」). For everyday 'good at' say 「上手」, for fluent speech 「流暢」, and for skill built up over years 「熟練」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. よくたえしのぶ能力のうりょく。
  2. 才能さいのう優すぐれ深ふかくその道みちに通つうじ巧たくみであること。
  3. 満足まんぞくすること、十分じゅうぶんに満ち足みちたりること。
  4. 心こころを晴はらすこと、気きが晴はれること。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

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