Meaning

Primary

Arm

Alternatives

Ability, Skill

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The kanji and the word are exactly the same, so this means arm.

While 腕 fundamentally refers to the appendages most of us have dangling from our shoulders, it can also be used figuratively to talk about someone's ability or skill in something, like ギターの腕を上げる (to improve at guitar) or 料理の腕をアピールする (show off one's cooking skills).

Reading

うで
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji.

Context

Context Sentences

テニスを三時間したら、次の日、腕がプルプルしていた。

I played tennis for three hours, and the next day, my arms were trembling.

先生には「前よりずっと腕が上がったよ」と言われた。

My coach told me, "Your skills have really improved."

それを聞いて、次の試合こそ腕の見せ所だと思った。

Hearing that, I thought the next match would be my chance to show what I could do.

でも試合の日、練習のしすぎで本当に腕が上がらなかった。とほほ…

But on the day of the match, I had practiced so much that I literally couldn't lift my arm. Sigh…

Kanji Composition