のが上手(じょうず)To be good at, Proficient

Structure

Verb + の + が + 上手(じょうず)

Details

Part of Speech
Expression
Word Type
Adjectival Noun
Register
Standard

About のがじょうず

～のが上手(じょうず) is a phrase that behaves in almost exactly the same way as ～のが好(す)き, but rather than meaning 'to like' something, it means 'to be good at' something. This particular expression is used with the plain (dictionary) form of verbs only.

In these examples, we can see that there is no difference between Ichidan verbs and Godan verbs. Both will appear in their plain form. In this expression, のが is performing the same function as in the regular のは・のが construction. This function is nominalization (turning a phrase into a noun). However, のは cannot be used with this phrase, as が is always required with adjectives.

Caution

If you want to express that you were good at something (in the past), the verb will still remain in the plain form, but 上手(じょうず) will change to the past tense.

お母(かあ)さんは若(わか)い頃(ころ)、踊(おど)るのが上手(じょうず)だった。

When my mother was young, she was good at dancing.

Caution

This grammar point can sound a little bit arrogant if you are referring to your own skills, so the word 得意(とくい) may also be used if you want to sound a bit more humble.

歌(うた)うのが上手(じょうず)です。

I am good at singing. (Like, how am I not famous)
歌(うた)うのが得意(とくい)です。

I am good at singing. (I have confidence in my singing)

Synonyms

Examples

--:--

トムはサッカーをするのがじょうずです。

Tom is good at playing soccer.

漢字(かんじ)を覚(おぼ)えるのがじょうず。

(He) is good at remembering Kanji.

彼(かれ)は漢字(かんじ)を書(か)くのがじょうずでしょう。

He is good at writing kanji, isn't he?

彼女(かのじょ)は、料理(りょうり)をするのがじょうずです。

She is good at cooking.

彼女(かのじょ)は歌(うた)うのがじょうず。

She is good at singing.

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- Good At
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- みんなの日本語 II
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のがじょうず – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (12 in total)

Asher
Basically, all sentences are made up of 主語 (words that can be a sentence topic), and 述語 (words that describe the sentence topic). Because が will always mark the 主語, が cannot (or should not) mark a verb.

Basically 主語 and 述語 work like this

何が・誰が = 主語
どうする・どんなだ = 述語

Because the の turns する into a 何が, it allows it to become a subject.

We could/should perhaps think of a clue to go with grammar points like this.
Megumin
Alright, thank you everyone for the input.

Highly appreciated.
mrnoone
@Megumin @Asher @nekoyama @FredKore
By the way, が in Verb + がゆえ comes from classical Japanese, the が was used for some time in the past to mark an attribute of the follwing noun, just like の does today. The attributive usage was the original use of が, there was no “subject” particle in the beginning.

You can see it in some modern set expressions like 我が社 (私の会社) = one’s company, 我が家 (私の家) - one’s house and so on.

This usage also applied to verbs that were in 連体形 (attributive form, like @nekoyama mentioned in modern Japanese it has become the basic form of the verb, but in the past verbs had separate 終止形 (final form) to which auxilliary verbs were attached), you can see it used with expressions like