腕（うで、ude）
- arm

The Japanese word 腕 腕 primarily refers to the arm. This includes the entire limb from the shoulder to the fingertips. It can also refer to skill, ability, or expertise, particularly in a specific field or activity. The meaning shifts depending on the context.

⚫︎彼の腕がいい。 Translation: He has a good arm. / He's skilled. ⚫︎サッカーの腕を磨く。 Translation: To hone one's soccer skills. ⚫︎腕を組む。 Translation: To link arms / to walk arm in arm.

⚫︎When referring to the physical arm, use 腕 in everyday conversations. ⚫︎When talking about someone's skill or ability, especially in sports, arts, or a profession, 腕 is used metaphorically. ⚫︎The context usually makes it clear whether the physical arm or the skill is being discussed. ⚫︎Use it in conjunction with verbs that describe actions involving the arm or skills.

⚫︎The word is typically written with the kanji 腕. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is うで. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana. ⚫︎Sometimes it can be written with the kanji 腕 alone for emphasis.

⚫︎前腕（ぜんわん） - forearm ⚫︎上腕（じょうわん） - upper arm ⚫︎才能（さいのう） - talent ⚫︎能力（のうりょく） - ability ⚫︎技量（ぎりょう） - skill

There are no direct antonyms for 腕 itself, as it's a noun. However, depending on the context: ⚫︎ For physical ability, the opposite could be 下手（へた） meaning unskilled. ⚫︎ For skill, it could be 不得手（ふえて）meaning poor at something.

彼の腕は医者としてとても良い。 ・Translation: He has very good skills as a doctor. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 腕 to describe someone's professional skill.

彼女の腕には入れ墨がある。 ・Translation: She has a tattoo on her arm. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 腕 to refer to the physical arm.

The etymology of 腕 is not definitively known, but it is believed to have originated from an Old Japanese word referring to the arm or the upper part of the arm.