How to Say ‘Is not good with’ in Japanese
苦手です
nigate desu
[nee-gah-teh dess]
💬 Usage Tip: [苦手です] is a soft way to say you're bad with something or don't handle it well, so it often means "I don't do well with..." rather than a blunt dislike. For dietary requests, that can sound gentler than directly saying you hate something.
Phrase Breakdown
苦手
nigate
[nee-gah-teh]
not good with; not fond of
Used politely to say something is difficult for you or you do not like it much.
辛い物は苦手です。
I’m not good with spicy food.
です
desu
[dess]
is; am; are
A polite copula used to make statements polite in Japanese.
辛い物は苦手です。
I’m not good with spicy food.
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