Describes someone who is completely unskilled or hopeless at something; often used self-deprecatingly or to criticize. The から prefix intensifies the lack of ability.
I'm utterly hopeless at cooking; I can't even fry an egg properly.
彼はスポーツはから下手だが、勉強はできる。
He's completely useless at sports, but he's good at studying.
Written forms
から下手
Standard kanji spelling; から means 'empty' and 下手 means 'unskillful', together meaning 'completely unskillful'.
空下手
Alternate kanji spelling using 空 for 'empty'; less common but recognized.
Etymology
Compound of から (empty, void) and 下手 (unskillful). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination intensifies the meaning to 'completely lacking in skill'.
