Translation and Meaning of: 能力 - nouryoku

If you are studying Japanese or are curious about the language, you may have come across the word 能力[のうりょく]. It appears in various contexts, from professional evaluations to discussions about personal skills. In this article, we will explore its meaning, origin, and how it is used in everyday Japanese. Additionally, we will look at tips for memorizing it and curiosities that make this word even more interesting.

In the Suki Nihongo dictionary, 能力 is defined as "ability" or "skill," but its usage goes beyond the literal meaning. It carries important nuances in Japanese culture, especially in the workplace and education. Understanding these subtleties can make a difference in your language learning.

Meaning and usage of 能力[のうりょく]

The word 能力 refers to the ability to perform something, whether it's a physical, intellectual, or even emotional task. Unlike terms like 才能[さいのう] (innate talent), it is more related to skills developed through effort. Therefore, it is common to see it in contexts of professional or academic evaluation in Japan.

An interesting aspect is that 能力 is not limited to technical skills. It can describe social competencies, such as the ability to work in a team (チームワーク能力) or to communicate efficiently (コミュニケーション能力). This breadth makes the word extremely versatile in the Japanese vocabulary.

Origin and composition of kanjis

Analyzing the kanjis that form 能力, we have 能 (ability, energy) and 力 (force, power). Together, they reinforce the idea of "power to perform." The first kanji, 能, also appears in words such as 可能[かのう] (possible) and 性能[せいのう] (performance), always related to the idea of potential.

It is worth noting that 能力 is a word of Chinese origin (kango), like many others in modern Japanese. It was incorporated into the vocabulary during periods of intense cultural influence from China, remaining relevant to this day. This history helps explain why it sounds more formal than purely Japanese terms (wago) with similar meanings.

Tips for memorizing and using correctly

An effective way to fix 能力 is to associate it with concrete situations. Think of sentences like "I need to improve my 能力 in Japanese" or "he has great 能力 in leadership." This type of contextualization helps internalize vocabulary naturally, going beyond simple translation.

Another valuable tip is to pay attention to how the word appears in animes, dramas, or Japanese news. In corporate environments, for example, 能力評価[のうりょくひょうか] (ability assessment) is a quite common term. Observing these real uses makes all the difference in learning.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 才能 (Sainou) - Ability or natural talent to do something.
• スキル (Sukiru) - Skill acquired or learned through practice.
• 技能 (Ginou) - Technical skill or practical knowledge in a specific area.
• 能耐 (Noutai) - Ability or endurance in performing tasks, often related to effort.
• 能力者 (Nouryokusha) - Person with exceptional skills or remarkable talents.
• 能力値 (Nouryokuchi) - Value or point that measures someone's ability or skill in a certain context.

能力

Romaji: nouryoku
Kana: のうりょく
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: ability; faculty

Meaning in English: ability;faculty

Definition: power or means to accomplish something.

Example Sentences - (能力) nouryoku

See below some example sentences:

彼女の日本語能力は高い程度だ。

Kanojo no nihongo nouryoku wa takai teido da

Your proficiency in the Japanese language is at a high level.

Your Japanese skill is high.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - She
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 日本語 (nihongo) - Japanese language
• 能力 (nouryoku) - Skill, capacity
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 高い (takai) - High
• 程度 (teido) - Grade, level
• だ (da) - Informal form of the verb ser

各々の能力に応じて責任を負う。

Kakugaku no nouryoku ni oite sekinin wo ou

Take responsibility according to your individual abilities.

We are responsible for each skill.

• 各々 (kaku kaku) - Each one, individually
• の (no) - Possession particle
• 能力 (nouryoku) - Skill, capacity
• に (ni) - Target particle
• 応じて (oujite) - according to, in response to
• 責任 (sekinin) - responsibility
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 負う (ou) - take over, carry

各自の能力に応じて責任を負う。

Kakuzi no nouryoku ni oite sekinin wo ou

Take responsibility according to your own abilities.

Take responsibility according to your abilities.

• 各自の (kakuji no) - Each one, individually
• 能力に応じて (nouryoku ni oujite) - according to ability
• 責任を負う (sekinin wo ou) - taking responsibility

区別する能力は重要です。

Kubetsu suru nouryoku wa juuyou desu

The ability to distinguish is important.

• 区別する - Verb meaning "to distinguish" or "to differentiate".
• 能力 - Noun meaning "ability" or "capacity".
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case "ability to distinguish".
• 重要 - Adjective meaning "important" or "crucial".
• です - Auxiliary verb that indicates a polite or respectful way of expressing oneself in Japanese.

各々の能力を最大限に活かすことが大切です。

Kakugaku no nouryoku wo saikougen ni ikasu koto ga taisetsu desu

It is important to maximize each individual's abilities.

It is important to make the most of each skill.

• 各々 (kaku kaku) - Each one, individually
• の (no) - Possession particle
• 能力 (nouryoku) - Skill, capacity
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 最大限 (saidagen) - to the maximum, at the maximum
• に (ni) - target particle
• 活かす (ikasu) - take advantage of, use
• こと (koto) - abstract noun
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 大切 (taisetsu) - important, valuable
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present

彼は自分の能力を強めるために毎日練習している。

Kare wa jibun no nouryoku o tsuyomeru tame ni mainichi renshuu shite iru

He practices every day to strengthen his skills.

• 彼 - The Japanese pronoun that means "he" is 彼 (かれ, kare).
• は - Japanese particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "he".
• 自分 - Japanese pronoun meaning "oneself"
• の - Japanese particle indicating possession, in this case "your"
• 能力 - Japanese noun meaning "skill" or "ability"
• を - Japanese particle indicating the direct object of the sentence, in this case "skill"
• 強める - Japanese verb meaning "to strengthen" or "to increase"
• ために - Japanese expression meaning "for" or "with the aim of"
• 毎日 - Japanese adverb meaning "every day"
• 練習 - Japanese noun meaning "training" or "practice"
• している - continuous form of the Japanese verb "する", which means "to do"

彼は国を治める能力がある。

Kare wa kuni o osameru nouryoku ga aru

He has the ability to rule a country.

He has the ability to rule the country.

• 彼 - The Japanese pronoun that means "he" is 彼 (かれ, kare).
• は - Japanese particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 国 - Japanese noun that means "country"
• を - Japanese particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence
• 治める - Japanese verb that means "to govern."
• 能力 - Japanese noun meaning "skill" or "ability"
• が - Japanese particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• ある - Japanese verb that means "to exist"
• . - punctuation mark that indicates the end of the sentence

彼の能力は私を超す。

Kare no nouryoku wa watashi wo kosu

His skill exceeds mine.

Your skill is super.

• 彼の - his
• 能力 - "habilidade, capacidade" = "skill, ability"
• は - Topic particle
• 私を - personal pronoun "I" + direct object particle
• 超す - verb "to exceed, to surpass"

彼女は自分の能力に傲っている。

Kanojo wa jibun no nouryoku ni ogorotte iru

She is proud of her abilities.

She is arrogant in her abilities.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 自分 (jibun) - Yourself
• の (no) - Particle that indicates possession
• 能力 (nouryoku) - Skill, capacity
• に (ni) - particle that indicates action or destination
• 傲っている (hokotteiru) - be proud, arrogant

彼女は優れる能力を持っています。

Kanojo wa sugureru nouryoku wo motteimasu

She has excellent skills.

She has excellent ability.

• 彼女 - she
• は - Topic particle
• 優れる - be excellent
• 能力 - Skill, capacity
• を - direct object particle
• 持っています - Land, possess