Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
下手 (へた, heta) Japanese meaning: unskillful | Kotomora
Report an issue with this page
私わたし
は
料りょう
理り
が
下手へた
です
。
He writes clumsy characters.
Usage patterns 〈 事こと〉 〉 が 下手へた だ to be poor/unskillful at (something)
下手へた に 〈 動詞どうし〉 〉 to carelessly/ill-advisedly do (something), risking a bad outcome
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
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 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 →
Related words· 10 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.
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 is the neutral, everyday word for 'unskilled', while 下手くそ adds a blunt, derogatory kick to the same idea.
Opposites· 6 skillful; good at; proficient · flattery
下手 means clumsy or unskillful, the direct opposite of 巧み's sense of skillful, adroit handling.
下手 means 'unskillful' or 'clumsy', the direct opposite of うまい when describing ability.
Show 3 more Don't confuse with 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 inarticulate; poor at speaking; clumsy with words
unskilled; clumsy; lousy; poor; awkward; shitty
very unskillful; extremely awkward; terrible at
poor conversationalist; bad at talking
Written forms 下手へた Usage 75%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Standard kanji spelling; the reading へた is a jukujikun.
へた Usage 13%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when avoiding the kanji.
ヘタ Usage 12%
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
下手 means unskillful or clumsy, the direct opposite of 巧者's sense of being clever and adept.
下手 describes clumsy or unskilled performance, the opposite of the brilliant skillfulness described by 鮮やか.
下手 describes being unskilled or clumsy at something, contrasting with 堪能's meaning of high proficiency.
から 下手へた
utterly lacking in ability; hopeless; useless; poor
Show 6 more unskilled; clumsy; poor at something
crude but charming; seemingly unskilled yet captivating
bad at socializing; poor social skills
bad at romance; awkward in relationships
bad at cooking; no good at cooking
poor listener; bad at listening
