Onyomi: ノウ · Kunyomi: あた.う, よ.く · Meanings: ability, capacity, skill, talent
Kanji for ability, capacity, skill, talent
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能 originally combined elements representing a **person** and **actions**, showing someone skillfully performing tasks, especially in hunting or work. It depicted the idea of being capable, skillful, or having the power to accomplish something. From this, 能 came to mean ability, talent, skill, or capacity — the power to do something well.
能 shows a person skillfully performing tasks, meaning ability, talent, or capacity.
Imagine a person confidently handling tools and completing tasks perfectly. That skill and capability is 能.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 能 | のう | talent, gift, function | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 良く | よく | nicely, properly, well, skillfully, skilfully | common JLPT-N5 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 能力 | のうりょく | ability, faculty | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 能率 | のうりつ | efficiency | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 能楽 | のうがく | noh play | common Noun |
| 能書き | のうがき | advertising the excellence of one's wares, boasting, self-advertisement | Noun |
| 良く良く | よくよく | carefully, closely | Adverb (fukushi) |
| 能率的 | のうりつてき | efficient | Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 能動 | のうどう | activity | common Noun |
| 能動的 | のうどうてき | active | common Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |