～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.
  いいえ、まだへた下手へたです。

  No, I am still poor (in something previously mentioned).

• 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 used when referring to hobbies, sports, or actions someone tries to do but struggles with.