ここのお寿司はめっちゃうまい！
(Koko no osushi wa meccha umai!)
The sushi here is super delicious!
What is うまい (Umai) in Japanese?
うまい (umai) is a word that native Japanese speakers commonly use. It has several meanings.
うまい (Umai) Can Mean:
- Delicious
- Skillful, Clever, Well Done
- Good, Favorable Conditions
It can be written in:
However, it is most often written using hiragana (うまい). We’ll go into more detail about this later on in this article.
Using うまい (Umai) in Conversation
Let’s see how うまい is used naturally in conversations. Here’s a conversation between two friends that uses the different meanings of うまい.
Example Conversation Using うまい:
健: この間、駅前にできたお店知ってる？あそこはうどんがうまいらしいよ。
Ken: (Konoaida ekimae ni dekita omise shitteru? Asoko wa udon ga umai rashii yo.)
Ken: Do you know about the new restaurant that opened in front of the train station the other day? I heard that the udon there is delicious.
太郎：そうなの？俺は先週そこで蕎麦を食べたけど、蕎麦もうまかったよ。
Taro: (Sō nano? Ore wa senshū soko de soba o tabeta kedo soba mo umakatta yo.)
Taro: Oh yeah? I went there last week and ate their soba. It was delicious too.
健: 蕎麦といえば、確か太郎のお父さんは蕎麦打ちがうまいんだよね？
Ken: (Soba toieba tashika Tarō no otōsan wa sobauchi ga umain da yo ne?)
Ken: Speaking of soba, if I remember correctly, wasn’t your dad good at making his own noodles?
太郎: そうなんだよ。最近は弟もお父さんと蕎麦打ちを始めて、うまくなってきたんだよ。
Tarō: (Sō nanda yo. Saikin wa otōto mo otōsan to sobauchi o hajimete umaku nattekitan da yo.)
Taro: Yea, that’s right. Recently my younger brother started making soba noodles with my dad, so he’s gotten pretty good at it.
健: そういえば、駅前のスクールで蕎麦打ちを習うと3ヶ月で自分の蕎麦屋を出店できるって聞いたよ。俺も蕎麦打ちを習って自分の店を持とうかな？
Ken: (Sōieba ekimae no sukūru de sobauchi o narau to sankagetsu de jibun no sobaya o shutten dekiru tte kiita yo. Ore mo sobauchi o naratte jibun no mise o motō kana?)
Ken: Come to think of it, I heard that if you learn to make soba noodles at the school in front of the station, you can open up your own restaurant in 3 months. I wonder if I should learn to make soba and open a shop.
太郎：そんなうまい話があるわけないよ！本気にしちゃだめだよ。
Tarō: (Sonna umai hanashi ga aru wake nai yo! Honki ni shicha dame da yo.)
Taro: That sounds too good to be true. You can’t be serious.
In Ken and Tarō’s conversation, the word うまい (umai) is used several times, but each with a different meaning. Let’s take a detailed look at all of these different meanings of うまい (umai) Japanese.
1. Using まい (Umai): Delicious, Tasty
Take a look at the first two sentences in the dialogue above.
健: この間駅前にできたお店知ってる？あそこはうどんがうまいらしいよ。
Ken: (Konoaida ekimae ni dekita omise shitteru? Asoko wa udon ga umai rashii yo.)
Do you know the restaurant opened recently in front of the station? I heard that the udon is delicious there.
太郎: そうなの？俺は先週そこで蕎麦を食べたけど、蕎麦もうまかったよ。
Tarō: (Sō nano? Ore wa senshū soko de soba o tabeta kedo soba mo umakatta yo.)
Taro: Really? I ate soba at the restaurant last week. It was also delicious.
In these two sentences, うまい (umai) means delicious or tasty. Using うまい in this way is very common, but it is usually said by men in casual situations.
Let’s see some other examples of this usage.
Example: Dialogue 1
健: うちの近所に新しいケーキ屋ができたんだけど、そこのケーキがうまそうなんだよ！
Ken: (Uchino kinjo ni atarashii kēkiya ga dekitan dakedo soko no kēki ga umasō nanda yo!)
Ken: A new cake shop opened in my neighborhood, and their cakes look so good!
花子: でもあそこのケーキは駅前のケーキ屋の倍の値段だよね。
Hanako: (Demo asoko no kēki wa ekimae no kēkiya no bai no nedan dayo ne.)
Hanako: But those cakes are double the price of the cake shop in front of the station.
健: 駅前のケーキ屋よりもうまいから高いんだよ。
Ken: (Ekimae no kēkiya yorimo umai kara takain dayo.)
Ken: That’s because they are more delicious than the ones at the cake shop in front of the station.
花子: そうかもね。じゃあ、今度家に行くときに買っていくね。
Hanako: (Sō kamo ne. Jā kondo ie ni iku toki ni katteiku ne.)
Hanako: You might be right. I’ll buy one when I visit you next time.
健: ありがとう。
Ken: (Arigatō.)
Ken: Thank you.
Example: Dialogue 2
健: 何食べてるの？
Ken: (Nani tabeteru no?)
Ken: What are you eating?
太郎: 蟹だよ。友達から北海道のお土産にもらったんだよ。
Tarō: (Kani dayo. Tomodachi kara Hokkaidō no omiyage ni morattan dayo.)
Taro: It’s a crab. One of my friends went to Hokkaido and bought it for me.
健: うまそう！俺も食べたい！
Ken: (Umasou! Ore mo tabetai!)
Ken: It looks delicious! I want to eat it too!
太郎: ごめん。もう全部食べちゃったよ。
Tarō: (Gomen. Mō zenbu tabechatta yo.)
Taro: I’m sorry, but I ate it all.
2. Using うまい (Umai): Skillful, Clever, Well Done, Good At
Let’s look at dialogue at the beginning of this article again.
健: 蕎麦といえば、確か太郎のお父さんは蕎麦打ちがうまいんだよね？
Ken: (Soba to ieba tashika Tarō no otōsan wa sobauchi ga umain dayo ne?)
Ken: Speaking of soba, if I remember correctly, wasn’t your dad good at making his own noodles?
太郎: そうなんだよ。最近は弟もお父さんと蕎麦打ちを始めて、うまくなってきたんだよ。
Tarō: (Sō nanda yo. Saikin wa otōto mo otōsan to sobauchi o hajimete umaku nattekitandayo.)
Taro: Yea, that’s right. Recently my younger brother started making soba noodles with my dad, so he’s gotten pretty good at it.
In these two sentences, うまい (umai) is used to mean skillfull and is often used to complement someone. This expression can be used by both men and women in casual/informal situations.
Examples: Dialogue 1
健: 花子がピアノを弾いているのを聞いたんだけど、すごくうまかったよ。花子がピアノを弾けるって知ってた？
Ken: (Hanako ga piano o hiiteiruno o kiitandakedo sugoku umakatta yo. Hanako ga piano o hikerutte shitteta?)
Ken: I listened to Hanako playing the piano. She was really good. Did you know that she can play the piano?
太郎: 花子はピアノだけじゃなくて絵を描くのもうまいんだよ。
Tarō: (Hanako wa piano dake janakute e o kaku no mo umain dayo.)
Taro: She doesn’t just play the piano. She’s good at drawing too.
Example: Dialogue 2
花子: 太郎のお母さんは料理がうまいんだよね？
Hanako: (Tarō no okāsan wa ryōri ga umain dayone?)
Hanako: Tarō, your mother is good at cooking, right?
太郎: そうだよ。
Tarō: (Sō dayo.)
Taro: Yup.
花子：私も料理がうまくなりたいから、お母さんに教えてもらえないかな？
Hanako: (Watashi mo ryōri ga umaku naritai kara okāsan ni oshiete morae nai kana?)
Hanako: I want to be good at cooking too, so could you ask your mother to teach me?
太郎: わかった。お母さんに聞いてみるよ。
Tarō: (Wakatta. Okāsan ni kiite miru yo.)
Taro: Okay. I’ll ask her.
花子：ありがとう。
Hanako: (Arigatō.)
Hanako: Thank you.
Example: Dialogue 3
健二: 先生、絵を描き終わったので見てください。
Kenji: (Sensei, e o kakiowatta node mite kudasai.)
Kenji: Teacher, I finished drawing my picture. Please take a look.
先生：うまいね！
Sensei: (Umai ne!)
Teacher: Well done!
3. (Umai): Good, Favorable Conditions, Promising
Let’s look at the ending of the dialogue at the beginning of this article.
健: そういえば、駅前のスクールで蕎麦打ちを習うと3ヶ月で自分の蕎麦屋を出店できるって聞いたよ。俺も蕎麦打ちを習って自分の店を持とうかな？
Ken: (Sōieba ekimae no sukūru de sobauchi o narau to sankagetsu de jibun no sobaya o shutten dekiru tte kiita yo. Ore mo sobauchi o naratte jibun no mise o motō kana?)
Ken: Come to think of it, I heard that if you learn to make soba noodles at the school in front of the station, you can open up your own restaurant in 3 months. I wonder if I should learn to make soba and open a shop.
太郎: そんなうまい話があるわけないよ！本気にしちゃだめだよ。
Tarō: (Sonna umai hanashi ga aru wake nai yo! Honki ni shicha dame da yo.
Taro: That sounds too good to be true. You can’t be serious.
In this case, うまい is describing a “promising” situation or thing. This can be used by both men and woman in casual situations.
Using うまい with 話 (hanashi) gives it a meaning of “good” or “promising.”話 (hanashi) means “story.” However, when these two words are put together – うまい話 (umai hanashi) it means something that sounds too good to be true. You’ll hear these “promising stories” whenever someone says they know an easy way to make money.
In this dialogue, Tarō says that even if Ken learns to make soba and opens his own restaurant, earning money won’t be easy.
Let’s see some other examples where うまい means good, favorable, or promising conditions.
Example Sentences:
1. 新しく開発したシステムはとても上手くいっている。
(Atarashiku kaihatsu shita shisutemu wa totemo umaku itteiru.)
The new system we made is working very well. (The new system is in favorable/good condition.)
2. なかなか良いアイディアが思いつかなかったが、友達と話していたらうまい考えが思い浮かんだ。
(Nakanaka yoi aidea ga omoi tsukanakatta ga, tomodachi to hanashiteitara umai kangae ga omoi ukanda.)
It was hard to come up with any good ideas, but as I was talking with my friend, a good idea popped into my head.
Example: Dialogue 1
健: 今度仕事で大きな契約を取れるかもしれないんだ。
Ken: (Kondo shigoto de ōkina keiyaku o toreru kamo shirenain da.)
Ken: I might get a big contract at work.
花子: うまくいくといいね。
Hanako: (Umaku iku to ii ne.)
Hanako: I hope it goes well. (Good luck.)
Example: Dialogue 2
お母さん: 花子、ルームメートとはうまくやってるの？
Okāsan: (Hanako, rūmumēto to wa umaku yatteruno?)
Mother: Hanako, are you getting along with your roommate?
花子: うん。うまくやってるよ。心配しないで。
Hanako: (Un. Umaku yatteru yo. Shinpai shinaide.)
Hanako: Yes, I’m getting along with my roommate. Don’t worry.
How Is Umai Written?
Umai is most commonly written in hiragana うまい (umai)
You may see it written in kanji in two different ways:
- 美味い (umai): delicious
- 上手い (umai): skilled, good
It can also be written in katakana: ウマイ (umai), but it is not as common as hiragana or kanji.
You may think that kanji versions 美味い or 上手い are the most official way to write this word, but these are substitute characters. If there is ever a need to write umai in official documents, it should be written in hiragana.
Children in Japan learn to write うまい in hiragana instead of kanji at school. Newspapers also use hiragana to write umai.
うまい (Umai) Vs. おいしい (Oishii): What’s the Difference?
うまい (umai) and おいしい (oishii) both can mean delicious, but うまい is a little rougher expression. Using うまい to say that something is delicious is close to slang. Because of this, it is most commonly used by men.
However, using うまい (umai) to mean “skillful” or “good” does not sound rough and can be used in casual situations. Men and women can use it to complement someone’s skills, as shown in the examples below.
Examples:
1. 絵を描くのがうまいね。
(E o kaku no ga umai ne.)
You’re good at drawing pictures.
2. 泳ぐのがうまいね。
(Oyogu no ga umai ne.)
You swim very well.
おいしい is sometimes written in kanji as 美味しい (oishii). 美 means “beautiful,” and 味 means “taste.”
Another essential point to remember is that うまい should not be used with someone with a higher social status than you (your boss, teachers, elders, etc.) or in formal situations. This applies to any meaning of うまい (skillful, good, promising, etc.).
Example: Situation 1
Ken and Takashi are friends. Takashi eats the food that Ken cooked and says, “うまい！”Because Ken and Takashi are friends, saying うまい is perfectly natural and appropriate.
How about if Ken’s mother cooks for Takashi? In this case, Takashi should say “おいしいです。 (Oishii desu.)” instead. This is because it is a more polite way to say that something is delicious. Since Ken’s mother is older than him, he should show respect and politeness to her.
Example: Situation 2
Takashi and his boss are playing golf. If Takashi wants to compliment his boss on this golf game, how should he say it? “うまい” is inappropriate because Takashi’s boss has higher social status. Using うまい could even come off as rude. In this case, he can say “素晴らしいですね”（Subarashii desu ne)” or “お見事です。 (Omigoto desu.)” to his boss. Both expressions mean “wonderful” or “excellent.”
Can We Make a Polite Sentence Using うまい(Umai)+です(Desu)?
Usually, using です (desu) at the end of a sentence makes it more polite. So what happens if you use it with an informal/slang word like うまい?
For example:
これはうまいです。
(Kore wa umai desu.)
This tastes good.
Using です in this situation will not make this statement polite. The casualness of うまい “overpowers” the politeness of です。 It is still a causal expression you wouldn’t use with people with a higher social status than you. Saying “これはおいしいです。(Kore wa oishii desu.)” would be a better choice.
What Is うんまっ！(Unma!) and うめー！(Umē!)
You may encounter the word うんまっ！ (unma!) or うめー！(umē!) when you are watching Japanese TV or reading Japanese manga. These words are even more casual/slang ways to say うまい to mean “delicious.” These are slang expressions, but they clearly show the emotion and surprise that someone has when they eat something super delicious.
A more polite way to express this would be to say:
とてもおいしい。
(Totemo oishii.)
It tastes really good.
A Useful Expressions Using うまい (Umai)
口がうまい: To have a way with words
If you know someone who can convince people with their words, this expression is perfect for describing them.
Examples:
1. 太郎: 今月も健が一番売り上げが多いね。なんであんなに売れるのかな？
Tarō: (Kongetsu mo Ken ga ichiban uriage ga ōi ne. Nande anna ni ureru no kana?)
Taro: Ken sold the most this month again. How does he sell so much?
花子: 彼は口がうまいからね。
Hanako: (Kare wa kuchi ga umai kara ne.)
Hanako: He has a way with words.
2. 太郎: 健はいつも女の子に人気があるよね。なんでだろう？
Tarō: (Ken wa itsumo onna no ko ni ninki ga aru yo ne. Nande darō?)
Taro: Ken is always popular with girls. Why?
花子: 彼は口がうまいからね。
Hanako🙁Kare wa kuchi ga umai kara ne.)
Hanako: He has a way with words.
Umai in Japanese Culture
Do you know there is a snack called “うまい棒” (Umai bō) in Japan? As you know, うまい (umai) means delicious, and 棒 (bō) means “a stick.” So it means a “delicious stick.”
It costs only around 10 yen each! It is popular, and many kids love it in Japan. There are many kinds of flavors like たこ焼き (takoyaki), コーンポタージュ(Cōnpotāju – cream corn soup), 明太子 (mentaiko – pollack roe)、サラダ (sarada – salad), etc. If you are interested in this snack, you can find it in supermarkets or convenience stores in Japan. Try it to see if it’s really うまい!
