うまい
umai[ɯ̟ma̠i]
The Japanese word うまい (umai) means delicious or skilled.
うまい is used in two main ways: to express that food is delicious or tasty, and to describe a person who is skillful or proficient at a specific task, such as playing a sport or an instrument.
Which one should you use?
While both うまい and おいしい (oishii) mean delicious, umai has a more casual and masculine tone compared to the standard oishii.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
うまい is an informal word. It is better suited for casual settings or when speaking with friends, and is considered less polite than おいしい.
How does it change in a sentence?
To talk about the past, use the form うまかった (umakatta) to say that something was delicious. For conditional statements, use うまければ (umakereba) to mean 'if it is delicious' or 'if one is skillful'.
Did you know?
- The word うまい might share an ancient connection with the English expression 'mmm', an onomatopoeic sound of approval. Historical phonetic reconstructions suggest the word may have originally featured an emphasized initial /-mm/ sound.
- While うまい is used for skill and taste, it is often used as a spontaneous exclamation when food first hits the tongue, whereas おいしい is more often used as a descriptive comment.
Examples in context
- このラーメンは うまい ね！This ramen is tasty, isn't it?
- ごちそうさまでした！ 美味しかった よ！Thank you for the meal! It was delicious!
- ほんまにこのたこ焼きは うまかったSeriously, this takoyaki was delicious.
- このカレー、すごくうまい！Kono karee, sugoku umai!This curry is really delicious!
- 彼はギターがうまい。Kare wa gitaa ga umai.He is good at the guitar.
- うまい店を知っていますか？Umai mise o shitte imasu ka?Do you know a good restaurant?
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are eating at a casual ramen shop.
- 健太 Kentaこのラーメン、うまいね！Kono raamen, umai ne!This ramen is delicious, isn't it!
- 結衣 Yui本当、すごくうまいよ。Hontou, sugoku umai yo.Really, it's very delicious.
- 健太 Kenta結衣は料理も上手だね。Yui wa ryouri mo jouzu da ne.Yui, you are good at cooking too.
- 結衣 Yuiそんなことないよ。Sonna koto nai yo.That's not true.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry うまい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries うまい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
