How to say 'Ability' in Japanese | 能

Wondering how to say 'Ability' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Ability is 'Nou', written as 能 in Japanese.'Ability' in hiragana is のう.

word

能

Meaning

Ability

Reading

のう

nou

Kanji

能Ability

Explanation

The Japanese noun '能 (のう)' primarily means 'ability' or 'capability'. It refers to the capacity or skill to perform a task or achieve something. This word is often used in contexts related to personal or professional skills, such as in '彼は語学の能がある (かれはごがくののうがある)', which translates to 'He has a talent for languages'. Additionally, '能' can also refer to Noh, a traditional form of Japanese theater, but this is a completely different and unrelated meaning. For example: Noh is a traditional Japanese performance art「能は日本の伝統芸能です」(のうはにほんのでんとうげいのうです).

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

N3

Kanji Grade

5

Frequency

4880

Composition

kanji

Handwriting