苦手

• Reading: にがて
• Romaji: nigate
• Kanji breakdown: 苦 (ku/niga) — bitter, difficult; 手 (te) — hand
• Pronunciation: /ni.ɡa.te/

Meaning

Poor at; weak in; not good with. Describes a lack of skill or a dislike for something.

A na-adjective and noun that covers both inability and aversion. ～が苦手だ means 'I am not good at / I have trouble with': 数学が苦手だ (bad at maths), 人前で話すのが苦手 (not good at speaking in front of people). Can also describe disliking something: 虫が苦手 (I do not like bugs). The opposite is 得意 (tokui, good at). Very frequently used in self-descriptions.

Examples

1. 私は朝起きるのが苦手で毎日遅刻しそうになる。 I'm bad at waking up in the morning, so I'm almost late every day.
2. 辛い食べ物が苦手だからカレーは甘口にしてほしい。 I can't handle spicy food, so I'd like my curry mild.
3. 苦手な科目を克服するために毎日勉強している。 I study every day to overcome the subjects I'm weak in.

Usage Guide

Context: self-introduction, school, daily life

Tone: candid

Origin & History

Compound of 苦 (ku/niga, bitter/difficult) and 手 (te, hand). Originally a go (board game) term meaning 'a move that puts one at a disadvantage,' later generalised to mean 'weakness' or 'something one struggles with.'

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal