器用な（きような、kiyouna）
- skillful

The Japanese word 器用な (きような) means "skillful," "handy," "dexterous," or "clever" in English. It describes someone who is good at using their hands or mind to do things easily and well. It often implies a natural talent or aptitude for a particular skill. It can also describe an object that is cleverly designed or used for a specific purpose.

⚫︎彼は器用な人です。 Translation: He is a skillful person. ⚫︎器用な手つきで、お寿司を握った。 Translation: With skillful hands, he made sushi. ⚫︎この機械はとても器用な》ので、様々な作業ができます。 Translation: This machine is very versatile, so it can do various tasks.

You use 器用な to describe a person's ability to do something with skill, dexterity, or cleverness. ⚫︎It's commonly used to describe skills that involve using the hands, such as crafting, cooking, or playing a musical instrument. ⚫︎It can also describe someone who is clever at problem-solving or quick-witted. ⚫︎You can also use it to describe a tool or object that is designed in a clever or practical way. ⚫︎You should conjugate 器用な as an adjective, changing to fit the tense and situation.

⚫︎The word is written as 器用な with the kanji 器 (ki - vessel, utensil, ability) and 用 (you - use, apply) and the hiragana な to mark it as an adjective. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is きような. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana suffixes) are always な.

⚫︎上手な (じょうずな) - skillful, good at. ⚫︎達者な (たっしゃな) - skillful, proficient (often used for skills gained through practice). ⚫︎巧みな (たくみな) - skillful, artful. ⚫︎腕がいい (うでがいい) - good at; have a knack for.

⚫︎不器用な (ぶきような) - clumsy, awkward, unskillful. ⚫︎下手な (へたな) - unskilled, bad at. ⚫︎不得意な (ふとくいな) - not good at.

彼は器用なので、壊れたおもちゃをすぐに直せます。 ・Translation: Because he is skillful, he can fix broken toys quickly. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 器用な describes someone's ability to repair things.

彼女は器用な手つきで、美しい折り紙を作った。 ・Translation: With skillful hands, she made beautiful origami. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 器用な describes a person's dexterity and skill in a specific activity.

The kanji 器 originally refers to a vessel or container, but it came to represent capacity or ability. 用 means "use" or "purpose." The combination suggests the ability to use something skillfully or to have a particular aptitude for something, thus the meaning "skillful" or "handy."