Su – Suki koso monono jouzu nare

「す」~「好きこそものの上手なれ」
Su – “Suki koso monono jouzu nare (What one likes, one will do well).”

Is there a hobby or activity that you have loved doing for a long time?
Is there one thing that you can become completely absorbed with while you are doing it?
For me, it is hiking.
Starting with Mt. Takao, I have been recently hiking mountains that are about 3,000 meters in height.
I love the simplicity of Hiking.
You just need to go up a tall mountain, and come down from it!
“What one likes, one will do well” is a proverb.
When it comes to doing something you like, you can focus on it, and continue doing it without feeling tired.
Becoming engaged with a passionate heart, you will find ways to improve yourself.
And no matter how many times you fail, you will pick it up again and keep on challenging without giving up.
This leads to something marvelous in the end.
It would look something look like this in a conversation.

A: “Did you cook this, B? You’re almost as good as a professional chef!”
この料理、Bさんが作ったんですか?プロ並みですね!
Kono ryōri, B-san ga tsukutta ndesu ka? Puro-namidesu ne!
B: “I just liked cooking for a long time.”
いえいえ。昔から料理が好きなだけですよー。
Ieie. Mukashi kara ryōri ga sukinadakedesu yo ̄.
A: “It’s really good! This is what it means when someone says what one likes, one will do well!”
本当に美味しい!『好きこそものの上手なれ』ですね.
Hontōni oishī! “Sukikosomononojōzunare”desu ne.

Have you ever heard someone describing you as amazing?
It is something you unknowingly achieve after continuing to do something you like for a long time.
While you work hard, you naturally end up with advanced skills.
Have you ever had something like that? You might be saying you are nobody with nothing special.
But in fact, you often undervalue what you can do well naturally. Take the time to look back and find what you are good at.
Have you ever had someone ask you how to do something, or looked surprised at how skillful you were at something?
When that happens, you can reply by saying, “oh, I just liked doing it”. 好きでやってるだけですよー Sukide yatteru dakedesu yo
Exactly! Doing something you like can be seen as a special talent to someone else.
When it comes to learning Japanese, why not talk about something that you like?
If it’s something you like, you can naturally concentrate on it, and have fun as you practice.
Among all things, you will learn fast.
About the Author – Yumi Yoshida from Tohoku has 16 years experience as a Japanese Language Teacher. Yumi loves hiking, traveling and drinking Japanese Sake. She thinks that the best way to learn Japanese is from fun and friendly conversation.
 
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