下手へた

へ

た

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

na-adjective, noun

unskillful; poor; awkward

Describes a lack of skill or ability in doing something. Often used self-deprecatingly. Antonym: 上手 (じょうず).

Antonyms: 上手 (じょうず)

私わたしは料りょう理りが下手へたです。
I am poor at cooking.
彼かれは下手へたな字じを書かく。
He writes clumsy characters.

na-adjective, noun

imprudent; untactful

Used for actions or remarks that are ill-considered or lack tact, often in social situations.

下手へたなことを言いって彼かの女じょを怒おこらせてしまった。
I said something tactless and made her angry.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉〉が下手へただto be poor/unskillful at (something)
私わたしは料りょう理りが下手へただ。
I'm not good at cooking.
下手へたに〈動詞どうし〉〉to carelessly/ill-advisedly do (something), risking a bad outcome
下手へたに手てを出だすと怪け我がをするよ。
If you carelessly get involved, you might get hurt.
下手へたな〈事こと〉〉を言いうto say something imprudent or tactless
下手へたなことを言いって彼かの女じょを怒おこらせてしまった。
I said something tactless and made her angry.

Expressions· 12

下手へたしたらif things go wrong; if one is unlucky; if one is careless
下手へたするとif things go poorly; at worst; if one is careless
下手へたすればif things go wrong; at worst; if one is unlucky or careless
下手へたを打うつmake a mistake; blunder
下手へたの横よこ好ずきbeing enthusiastic but unskilled; loving something despite being bad at it

Show 3 more

下手へたの長なが談だん義ぎpoor speakers make long speeches; brevity is the soul of wit
下手へたをするとif things go wrong; if one is careless; at worst
下手へたをすればif things go wrong; if one is careless; at worst

See all 12 in Explore →

Grammar

のが好すき・上手じょうず・下手へたlike doing; good at doingN5

Kanji

下below, down, descend
手hand

Related words· 10

苦にが手てN3sense 1
苦手 also describes being poor at something, but stresses personal dislike or a weak point rather than plain lack of skill, whereas 下手 is a neutral judgment of ability.
悪わるいN5
下手 specifically means unskilled at a task, while 悪い is broader and appears in set phrases like 手際が悪い for the same idea.
下手へたくそ
下手 is the neutral, everyday word for 'unskilled', while 下手くそ adds a blunt, derogatory kick to the same idea.
拙せつ劣れつ
下手 is the common, everyday word for being unskillful, while 拙劣 is a more formal, literary term often applied to the quality of work rather than a person's ability.

Show 6 more

不ぶ器き用ようN3
下手 is a general word for being poor at a skill, while 不器用 specifically suggests physical clumsiness or a fundamental lack of dexterity.
拙つたない
下手 is the everyday, colloquial word for 'unskillful', while 拙い is more formal and literary and can also describe poor-quality work itself.
不ふ得とく意いN1
下手 describes general lack of skill at something (often visibly so), whereas 不得意 more narrowly means a subject or area one isn't confident or practiced in.
稚ち拙せつ
下手 is the everyday, casual word for being bad at something, while 稚拙 is more formal and used in critical or literary contexts.
臭くさいN4
下手 is the clear, everyday word for being unskilled, while 臭い in this sense is a vaguer, more evaluative way of calling something awkwardly amateurish.
巧こう拙せつ
下手 is an adjective meaning someone is poor at something, while 巧拙 is a noun that covers the whole range from skilled to unskilled.

Opposites· 6

上手じょうずN5sense 1
skillful; good at; proficient · flattery
巧たくみN1
下手 means clumsy or unskillful, the direct opposite of 巧み's sense of skillful, adroit handling.
うまいN4
下手 means 'unskillful' or 'clumsy', the direct opposite of うまい when describing ability.

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巧こう者しゃ
下手 means unskillful or clumsy, the direct opposite of 巧者's sense of being clever and adept.
鮮あざやかN2
下手 describes clumsy or unskilled performance, the opposite of the brilliant skillfulness described by 鮮やか.
堪たん能のうN1
下手 describes being unskilled or clumsy at something, contrasting with 堪能's meaning of high proficiency.

Don't confuse with

下した手てN1
Written identically but read へた, this homograph means 'unskillful' or 'poor at something', unlike 下手 (したて) which refers to a lower position or sumo grip.
下した手て投なげ
下手投げ (したてなげ) refers to a specific underarm throwing technique, whereas 下手 (へた) written with the same kanji but a different reading means 'unskilled' or 'clumsy'.

Word family· 12

口下手くちべた
inarticulate; poor at speaking; clumsy with words
下手へたくそ
unskilled; clumsy; lousy; poor; awkward; shitty
ド下手べた
very unskillful; extremely awkward; terrible at
話はなし下手べた
poor conversationalist; bad at talking
から下手へた
utterly lacking in ability; hopeless; useless; poor

Show 6 more

下手へたっぴ
unskilled; clumsy; poor at something
ヘタウマ
crude but charming; seemingly unskilled yet captivating
交こう際さい下手べた
bad at socializing; poor social skills
恋れん愛あい下手べた
bad at romance; awkward in relationships
料りょう理り下手べた
bad at cooking; no good at cooking
聞きき下手べた
poor listener; bad at listening

See all 12 in Explore →

Written forms

下手へたUsage75%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Standard kanji spelling; the reading へた is a jukujikun.
へたUsage13%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when avoiding the kanji.
ヘタUsage12%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in informal contexts.

Etymology

The kanji 下 (down) and 手 (hand) combine to suggest a low level of skill. The reading へた is a jukujikun, not derived from the individual kanji readings.