JLPT Level 3 - Use of "Umai"

[hayashi]

I'm studying the 2003 JLPT Level 3 test and there is a question that is confusing me concerning the use of "umai," which I think of as synonymous with "jyouzu."

This question is from the part of the exam that gives four possible uses of the word and asks you to choose the one that is correct. Here, it seems to me as if two of the four answers are correct. They are:

watashi no otouto wa suugaku ga umaku arimasen
AND
watashi wa piano ga umaku arimasen

Which is correct, which is incorrect, and why?

 

[GaijinPunch]

Are you sure you read/typed them right? What are the other two?

Umai is generally synonymous with jyouzu as you said (although they are preceeded by different verbs. aru and da respectively).

 

[hayashi]

I double checked. The typing is correct. The other two choices (which are clearly wrong) were:

kyou wa harete, keshikiga umai desu

watashi no pasocon wa itsumo umai desu

It's Q51 from the the 2003 JLPT (Part 1).

 

[hayashi]

I emailed my Japanese professor with the question, and the gist of her response is that with a "serious" subject like math ("suugaku") requires a more "serious" adjective like "jyouzu" while a "hobby" like playing piano would be more appropriately described using a more "casual" adjective like "umai."

 

[GaijinPunch]

Okay -- I got it.

"Suugaku ga umai" is the incorrect one. Suugaku ga "tokui" is how you would say that. You use "umai" with something that requires skill, not intelligence -- a school subject in this case. Hope that helps.