得意 ｖｓ 上手

[stevesayskanpai]

Hi all.

Fairly basic question here...what is the difference in meaning and use of 得意 and 上手. I've used the latter one for ages, but in all my time studying Japanese have never learnt the former!

Thanks

[QuackingShoe]

得意's most common use is as a strong suite or specialty. It would imply you're also 上手 at whatever it is, naturally, but they're not synonymous.

Entertaining Google Examples!
ダンボールに隠れるのは得意だ (In reference to Metal Gear, e-heheheh)
得意なことを仕事として選びたい

[hatch_jp]

得意 is used when someone explains one's confidence of one's competence or one's high skill.

上手 is used when someone prize a result or an action.
上手 is seldom used for speaker's resut or action. If you use 上手 for your result or action, others think that you are boasting.

◎：usually
△:sometimes
Ⅹ：never used

◎：彼女は料理が得意だ
◎：彼女は料理が上手だ

◎：私は料理が得意だ
△：私は料理が上手だ　(if you want to boast, you can use this.)

◎：私は算数が得意だ
Ⅹ：私は算数が上手だ (算数=math is not a result or an action)

Ⅹ：この絵は得意だ(絵=a picture is not a competence or a skill)
◎：この絵は上手だ (絵=a picture is a result of someone's action)

◎：彼は絵が得意だ(In this case, 絵 implys his high skills of painting)
◎：彼は絵が上手だ (絵=a picture is a result of someone's action)
　　The sentence means "彼は絵を描くのが上手だ"

◎：彼女は日本語が得意だ(In this case, 日本語 implys her high skills of spekaing, writing, reading in Japanese)
◎：彼女は日本語が上手だ (In this case, 日本語 implys her action as speaking Japanese.)
　　＝彼女は日本語を話すのが上手だ

[stevesayskanpai]

ありがとう！

Thats very helpful.

ソレジャ

[Elfunko]

得意's most common use is as a strong suite or specialty. It would imply you're also 上手 at whatever it is, naturally, but they're not synonymous.

Entertaining Google Examples!
ダンボールに隠れるのは得意だ (In reference to Metal Gear, e-heheheh)
得意なことを仕事として選びたい

LOL, someones studying in Japan and has close proximity to a playstation 3. You livin in the dormitories?

Reminds me of when I was there last year, roommate got MG4 first day it was out. And that one game with the giant robots thats like Mechwarrior.