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下手に出る (したてにでる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, ichidan verb
behave modestly ; act humble ; take a humble attitude
Used when someone deliberately adopts a modest or deferential stance, often to avoid conflict or to show respect. The phrase implies a conscious choice to lower oneself.
See also: 下手 (したて)
交こう 渉しょう で は 下した 手て に 出で た ほう が うまく いく こと も ある 。
In negotiations, sometimes it works better to take a humble attitude.
Similar words 謙けん 虚きょ 謙虚 is a noun/adjective meaning 'humble' as a character trait, while 下手に出る describes the action of behaving humbly in a specific situation.
下した 手て 下手 (したて) means 'lower position' or 'modesty' and is the noun part of this expression; 下手に出る literally means 'to come out in a lower position'.
Etymology The expression combines 下手 (したて, 'lower position' or 'modesty') with 出る (でる, 'to appear' or 'to take an attitude'), literally meaning 'to come out in a lower position'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used idiomatically to mean 'behave modestly'.
