Japanese with Manga

Promising suitors with 有能

Kanji Explanation: Ability and capability with 能

Manga panel from 名探偵コナン showing example of Promising suitors with 有能.
名探偵コナン » Volume 9 » Page 120

Detective Mouri is invited as a special guest to the birthday party for Reika, daughter of the Yotsui Group’s chairman. At the event, Reika announces her intent to marry.

霊化(れいか):
「そう思(おも)って今日(きょう)のパーティーにも、有能(ゆうのう)そうな男性(だんせい)を数人(すうにん)、お招(まね)きしてますわ…」
“With that in mind, I've invited several promising gentlemen to today's party...”
Literal: “Thinking that, I've invited several men who seem capable to today's party as well...”

Key Points

1有能(ゆうのう) = capable or competent
  • Here 有能(ゆうのう) describes men she sees as highly capable.
  • The translation “promising” fits the matchmaking context, but the core meaning is “competent”.
2そうな means “seeming” or “looking”
  • 有能(ゆうのう)そうな男性(だんせい) means “men who seem capable”.
  • She is judging from outward impression and status.
3お招(まね)きしてますわ sounds refined and ladylike
  • The honorific お and sentence ending わ fit Reika’s elegant, upper-class speech.

Vocabulary

(Think)

思う(おもう) means to think, feel, believe, expect, or hope.

(Today)

今日(きょう) means today. In formal writing, it can also mean the present day or current era.

(Competent)

有能(ゆうのう) means competent, capable, or talented.

(Man)

男性(だんせい) means man or adult male.

(Several people)

数人(すうにん) means several people or a few people. It gives an approximate small number rather than an exact count.

See Also

名探偵コナン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.