“Good in” or “good at”? Good at, good for, good with

Use “good at” for skills and subjects: “She’s good at maths.” “Good in” is only for situations or places: “He’s good in a crisis.”

The rule

good at + skill / activity / -ing: good at tennis, good at cooking.

good with + people or tools: good with children, good with numbers.

good for + benefit: Exercise is good for you.

The same pattern applies to bad at, great at, terrible at.

Examples

• ✗ I’m good in English.

  ✓ I’m good at English.

• ✗ He’s bad in football.

  ✓ He’s bad at football.

• ✗ She is good in play piano.

  ✓ She is good at playing the piano.

Why learners make this mistake

Spanish bueno en, Portuguese bom em and Italian bravo in all use a word meaning “in”.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between “good at” and “good with”?

Good at is for skills (good at drawing); good with is for handling people or things (good with kids, good with money).

Last updated 2026-09-30