How to Say ‘To be bad at (doing)’ in Japanese
苦手です
nigate desu
[nee-gah-teh dess]
💬 Usage Tip: [苦手です] is a softer, more natural way to say “I’m not good at…” than a blunt “I can’t.” Often used with [〜のが]: [話すのが苦手です].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese interview answers tend to avoid overly negative wording. [苦手です] + an improvement plan sounds honest but not pessimistic.
Phrase Breakdown
苦手
nigate
[nee-gah-teh]
not good at; weak in; poor at
Describes something you are not good at. In interviews, soften it and follow with improvement actions.
私の弱みはプレゼンが苦手なところです。
My weakness is that I’m not good at presentations.
です
desu
[dess]
to be (polite)
Polite ending to state something formally (苦手です).
人前で話すのが少し苦手です。
I’m a little not good at speaking in front of people.
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