Translation guide
Describes someone with natural ability or skill. Japanese uses various adjectives and nouns depending on the domain (arts, sports, academics, etc.) and the nuance (innate talent vs. developed skill).
Describing someone as generally talented, gifted, or highly capable.
Literally 'has talent'. The most common and versatile way to say someone is talented. Can be used for any field.
彼女は本当に才能がある。
She is really talented.
He has a talent for music.
Means 'competent' or 'capable'. Emphasizes practical ability and effectiveness, often in professional or academic contexts.
彼は有能なエンジニアだ。
He is a talented/capable engineer.
Means 'excellent' or 'superior'. Often used for outstanding talent or performance, especially in academics or work.
彼女は優秀な学生だ。
She is a talented/outstanding student.
Means 'genius-level'. Used for exceptional, prodigious talent. Stronger than 'talented'.
彼の演奏は天才的だ。
His performance is genius/talented on a genius level.
Specifically for talent in arts, music, drawing, writing, etc.
Means 'has good sense/taste'. Commonly used for artistic flair, fashion sense, or creative intuition.
彼女は服のセンスがいい。
She has a good sense of style (is talented in fashion).
あのデザイナーは本当にセンスがいいね。
That designer is really talented (has great taste).
Literally 'has artistic talent'. More formal and specific to fine arts.
彼は芸術的才能に恵まれている。
He is blessed with artistic talent.
Means 'good at drawing/painting'. A simple, direct way to say someone is talented at visual art.
彼女は絵が上手いね。
She's talented at drawing, isn't she?
Describing talent in sports, dance, or physical activities.
Literally 'has good motor nerves'. The most common way to say someone is naturally athletic or coordinated.
彼は運動神経がいいから、どんなスポーツでもすぐに上手くなる。
He's talented athletically, so he gets good at any sport quickly.
Directly means 'has sports talent'. Clear and straightforward.
彼女はスポーツの才能がある。
She has a talent for sports.
Means 'has high physical ability'. More formal, often used in scouting or analysis.
彼は身体能力が高く、将来有望だ。
He has high physical talent and a promising future.
Referring to a talented individual as a noun.
Literally 'a person with talent'. The most neutral and common noun phrase.
彼は本当に才能のある人だ。
He is a truly talented person.
Means 'capable human resource'. Used in business or organizational contexts to refer to talented personnel.
会社は有能な人材を求めている。
The company is looking for talented individuals.
Means 'genius'. Use only for exceptionally talented people, often prodigies.
才能がある (sainō ga aru) means 'has innate talent', while 上手い (umai) means 'is skilled (at a specific thing)'. You can be 上手い without 才能 if you worked hard, but 才能がある implies natural ability.
彼はピアノが上手いが、才能があるとは限らない。
He is good at piano, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is talented.
There is no single Japanese adjective that directly corresponds to 'talented' in all contexts. Using タレンテッド (tarenteddo) as a loanword is very rare and unnatural. Instead, use the phrases above depending on the type of talent.
彼は数学の天才だ。
He is a math genius (extremely talented).