巧み
たくみ · takumi · JLPT N1 · na-adj
skill
🛠️ 巧 contains 工 (craft, work): skill = craft + work, the know-how to make things well
たくみ means skill or cleverness, like a craftsman's. Its kanji 巧 includes 工, the sign for craft or work, so skill starts with working well with your hands.
巧 — 工 (work) + 丂 (breath/exhalation phonetic)
巧 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left 工 (work, craft) gives the meaning, pointing to skilled craftsmanship, while the right 丂 supplies the sound. From 'skilled handiwork' the meaning broadened to 'clever, ingenious,' and later to 'coincidental' as in 凑巧.