～が下手【～がへた】

The word 下手 (へた) is used to describe someone’s lack of skill or poor performance in an activity or action. It is the opposite of 上手 (じょうず), which means "good at" or "skilled at."

• Describing Poor Skill with Nouns: Use ～が下手 to describe someone's poor ability or lack of skill in a particular activity.

  わたくし私はうた歌がへた下手です。

  I am bad at singing.

• Describing Poor Skill with Actions: Attach の or こと after the plain form of a verb to express poor ability to perform that action.

  かれ彼はりょうり料理をつくる作るのがへた下手です。

  He is bad at cooking.

Notes:

• Japanese speakers may use 下手 when talking about their own abilities to sound modest, even if they are actually skilled.

• 下手 can sound blunt or critical when talking about others, so it should be used carefully.
• To soften it, you can use expressions like あまりとくい得意じゃない (not very good at) or にがて苦手 (にがて, weak at).
• It is often used when referring to hobbies, sports, or actions someone tries to do but struggles with.