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B1 adjective 2 Min. Lesezeit

苦手な

When you want to say you're not good at something, or that you dislike something, the Japanese adjective for that is 苦手な (nigatena). It's commonly used for things like food you don't like to eat, or subjects you're not skilled in, like math. For example, if you say 「数学は苦手だ」 (Suugaku wa nigateda), it means "I'm not good at math." Or, if someone offers you natto and you don't like it, you can say 「納豆は苦手です」 (Nattou wa nigatedesu), meaning "I don't like natto."

You can also use it to describe skills or actions. If you're not good at singing, you might say 「歌うのが苦手です」 (Utau no ga nigatedesu). It’s a very practical word to express your weaknesses or dislikes politely. Remember, it's a 'na'-adjective, so it takes 'na' when modifying a noun, like 苦手な食べ物 (nigatena tabemono - disliked food).

Jetzt üben Beispiele Notizen & Tipps

This lesson is all about 苦手な (nigatena). It's a really useful adjective in Japanese. You'll hear it often. It means 'poor at' or 'dislike'. Think of it as a polite way to say you're not good at something, or you don't like something, especially food.

Let's break down how to use it in different situations.

§ Understanding 苦手な

Japanese Word: 苦手な (nigatena)
Part of Speech: Adjective
CEFR Level: B1
Definition: Poor at, dislike (e.g., a food one dislikes).

§ Where You Actually Hear This Word

You'll encounter 苦手な in many everyday situations. Let's look at some common ones.

At Work: When discussing tasks or skills.
At School: When talking about subjects or activities.
In Casual Conversation: Especially about food preferences or hobbies.

§ Examples in Context

Here are some practical examples of how 苦手な is used:

§ Talking About Food

This is one of the most common uses. When someone asks about your food preferences, 苦手な is very natural.

私は辛い食べ物が苦手です。(Watashi wa karai tabemono ga nigatedesu.)

Translation Hint: I am not good with/dislike spicy food.

彼はピーマンが苦手です。(Kare wa piiman ga nigatedesu.)

Translation Hint: He dislikes bell peppers.

§ Discussing Skills and Activities

You can use 苦手な to talk about things you're not good at, whether it's a sport, a subject, or a skill at work.

彼女は計算が苦手です。(Kanojo wa keisan ga nigatedesu.)

Translation Hint: She is poor at calculations.

私は人前で話すのが苦手です。(Watashi wa hitomae de hanasu no ga nigatedesu.)

Translation Hint: I am poor at speaking in front of people.

§ In Professional Settings

Even in a professional context, you might hear or use 苦手な. It's often used when politely declining a task or admitting a weakness in a team.

細かい作業は少々苦手です。(Komakai sagyou wa shoushou nigatedesu.)

Translation Hint: I'm a bit poor at detailed work.

This phrase helps convey a slight reluctance or a gentle admission of a weak point without sounding entirely incapable. It's a nuance that's very useful to master for polite communication in Japanese.

§ Key Takeaways

Polite Expression: 苦手な is a polite way to say you're not good at something or dislike something.
Versatile: Use it for food, skills, subjects, and activities.
Grammar: Remember it's a 'na-adjective', so attach な when it modifies a noun.

Wusstest du?

The 'te' (手) in 苦手 is the same 'te' used in words like 上手 (jouzu - good at) and 下手 (heta - bad at).

Beispiele nach Niveau

彼女は数学が苦手なので、いつも私に助けを求めます。

She's not good at math, so she always asks me for help.

私は人前で話すのが苦手なので、プレゼンテーションはいつも緊張します。

I'm not good at speaking in front of people, so presentations always make me nervous.

うちの猫は水が苦手で、お風呂に入れると大騒ぎです。

Our cat hates water and makes a big fuss when we try to bathe her.

彼は苦手な仕事でも、決して不平を言わずにこなします。

Even with tasks he dislikes, he never complains and gets them done.

私はピーマンが苦手ですが、健康のために頑張って食べるようにしています。

I don't like green peppers, but I try my best to eat them for my health.

苦手なことに挑戦することは、自己成長に繋がると信じています。

I believe that challenging yourself with things you're not good at leads to personal growth.

多くの人が苦手な英語の勉強ですが、継続すれば必ず上達します。

Many people struggle with studying English, but if you continue, you will definitely improve.

彼は苦手な分野でも、持ち前の探求心で深く掘り下げていきます。

Even in areas he's not good at, he delves deep with his natural curiosity.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Think of 'NIGATE NA' as 'NIGA-TEnacious NAvigator' who is terrible at directions. He's poor at navigating and dislikes asking for help.

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a chef who absolutely hates cooking and is terrible at it. He's sweating, burning things, and has a genuinely pained expression on his face. This chef is 苦手な at cooking.

Word Web

苦手な → 嫌い (dislike) 苦手な → 下手 (poor at, unskillful) 苦手な → 食べ物 (food) 苦手な → 勉強 (studying) 苦手な → スポーツ (sports)

Herausforderung

Think about three things you are 苦手な at, and three types of food you are 苦手な with. Write them down in Japanese using '私は〜が苦手です。'

Wortherkunft

From 'nigashi' (苦し) meaning 'bitter' or 'painful,' and 'te' (手) meaning 'hand.'

Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: Originally referred to being clumsy with one's hands, or having difficulty with manual tasks.

Japonic

Kultureller Kontext

The word 苦手 (nigatena) is commonly used to express a personal dislike or weakness, and it's perfectly acceptable to use in most social situations in Japan. It's often accompanied by a slight bow or apologetic tone to soften the statement, especially when declining an offer or discussing something you're not good at. Understanding its nuance is key to polite communication.

Im Alltag üben

Kontexte aus dem Alltag

Talking about disliked foods

私はピーマンが苦手です。(I don't like bell peppers.)
辛いものが苦手な人もいます。(Some people don't like spicy food.)
子供の頃、牛乳が苦手でした。(When I was a child, I didn't like milk.)

Discussing things one is bad at

私は歌が苦手です。(I'm not good at singing.)
彼は絵を描くのが苦手だ。(He's not good at drawing.)
計算が苦手なので、電卓を使います。(I'm bad at math, so I use a calculator.)

Explaining skills or subjects one struggles with

数学は苦手な科目でした。(Math was a subject I was bad at.)
英語は得意ですが、フランス語は苦手です。(I'm good at English, but bad at French.)
パソコンの操作が苦手で困っています。(I'm having trouble because I'm bad at using computers.)

Describing social situations one finds difficult

人前で話すのが苦手です。(I'm not good at speaking in front of people.)
朝早く起きるのが苦手です。(I'm not good at waking up early.)
初対面の人と話すのが苦手です。(I'm not good at talking to strangers.)

Talking about things that are physically uncomfortable or difficult

寒いのが苦手なので、冬は家から出ません。(I don't like the cold, so I don't go out in winter.)
高いところが苦手です。(I'm afraid of heights.)
運動が苦手なので、すぐに疲れます。(I'm not good at exercise, so I get tired quickly.)

Gesprächseinstiege

"何か苦手な食べ物がありますか？ (Is there any food you don't like?)"

"学生時代、苦手な科目はありましたか？ (Did you have any subjects you were bad at in school?)"

"人前で話すのは得意ですか、それとも苦手ですか？ (Are you good at speaking in front of people, or are you not good at it?)"

"苦手なことでも、克服しようと努力しますか？ (Do you try to overcome things you're not good at?)"

"あなたの周りで、何か苦手なことはありますか？ (Is there anything you're not good at around you?)"

Tagebuch-Impulse

今まで苦手だったけれど、克服できたことは何ですか？ (What have you overcome that you were previously bad at?)

なぜ特定の食べ物が苦手なのでしょうか？理由を考えてみましょう。(Why don't you like certain foods? Let's think about the reasons.)

もし苦手なことを克服できたら、どんなことができるようになりますか？ (If you could overcome something you're bad at, what would you be able to do?)

苦手なことに対して、どのように向き合っていますか？ (How do you deal with things you're not good at?)

友人が苦手なことで悩んでいたら、どのようにアドバイスしますか？ (If a friend was struggling with something they're not good at, what advice would you give them?)