How to say "My Japanese is bad" / 上手 下手 vs 得意 苦手

Support me on Patreon / japaneseammo
This time I'm teaching you how to say "My Japanese is bad", "Your English is good" ("Your Japanese is good"), "to be good at ~", "to be bad at ~" in Japanese!
I also explain the differences between 上手 (jouzu), 下手 (heta), 得意 (tokui) and 苦手 (nigate) which a lot of people often make mistakes with.
How to say "I'm rusty" in Japanese - bit.ly/2eerF19
I-adjectives & NA-adjectives - • #4 I & NA adjectives┃J...
Explanation on : verb+ の - • #8 *Verb*ing is *adj.*...
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[@thapoint09saltaccount20]

I would think saying "my Japanese is bad" in incorrect Japanese would just drive home the point.

[@icebear8909]

thapoint09's alt account or say it in an extremely 'merican accent. "Knee hone go gah heh tah desuu." 😂

[@AndreLuiz-fy3ll]

I thought the same thing lol

[@S3r0t0nin]

Lmao 😂

[@MusicOfPhil]

実際、日本人は日本語が話せない人にかなり親切、経験上。

[@mayalig9877]

thapoint09's alt account I think acknowledging that you Suck , is a way of being humble .

[@TAP7a]

"Bri'ish" That was beautiful, you brought a tear to my eye

[@tenforty524]

as a professional qualified tea drinking bri’ish, i can confirm it made me tear up

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@Uatemydoodle]

I want to learn how to say "I don't speak X" perfectly in every single language.

[@allieb5182]

there's well over 100 languages, not including the countless tribal languages...good luck ^ ahaha

[@chichirinuriko20]

Me too but that will be impossible.

[@ARK-v1]

Google Translator is pretty smart now a days. You can get some help of her ;).

[@GrayLemons]

There are hundreds of languages... It would be better to just learn an entire language that would be personally useful to you. Or learn some of the most popular languages way to say, "I can't speak X"

[@rusejames7242]

Uatemydoodle b

[@user-pp3bf3he1c]

"don't use sarcasm in Japan" Misa-sensei, 2016

[@SavageBear_YT]

I find it cool that not only are we learning Japanese, but also English. I'm going to start saying "I'm confident in..." or "I'm not confident in..." instead of good or bad, because then it's your opinion, and gives the person your talking to more options for replies. What I mean by that is that when you say you're bad at something, the first thing people try to do is encourage you without really giving tips on how to get better, "oh you're not that bad!" "Just stick with it". But if you say you aren't confident in something they can freely say "have you tried this..." or "just remember that..." with less fear of offending you. Saying you aren't confident in something makes you sound a lot more open to improvement than saying you're bad at something, which sounds like you've given up. Ah, I hope that wasn't too wordy >_< えいごがとくいです 😂 lol

[@chigozietruth]

ありがとうございます

[@OrangeC7]

This is something that seems like it happens a lot when you learn a new language. It's probably that when you're learning a new language, your language center is more open to changes, and ways of expressing yourself that you've built up over time (notably, ways that aren't the best at expressing what you really mean) have the chance to change again

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@SavageBear_YT]

@@BiGSmoke-.- Awh damn is that Big Smoke!? Are you learning Japanese too m'dude? lol

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

@@SavageBear_YT Damn straight! Gotta spread my presence to other people in the world

[@AshenElk]

5:29 "And also we don't get sarcasm." Yeap, I learnt this the hard way.

[@priciliar.s.simarmata2373]

Care to share the story? 😂

[@AshenElk]

@@priciliar.s.simarmata2373 No particular story. Just many failed jokes.

[@SavageBear_YT]

にほんごがへたです When I was visiting Yellowstone National Park. I was filming the geyser Old Faithful when a little Japanese woman came up to me, pointed at my ipad and said "すごい!" (cool!) I got so excited because I knew what she said! But I couldn't say anything so I just spastically nodded with this enormous smile on my face like "YES! YES IT IS COOL!" Lol. I will get better at peopling soon.

[@GrayLemons]

Sophie Shepherd it's an extremely rewarding experience when you actually understand what someone said. I'm not joking, it kind of sounds like a joke, but 本当に. It makes you feel like you actually learned something.

[@sonicfan73887]

すごいだから君は彼女がわかりました！

[@Jacked_R_Us]

@@sonicfan73887 It was amazing because you understood her

[@marcusaureliusregulus2833]

@@Jacked_R_Us 🤔I thought it was "You understood her because it was amazing"😂😅

[@marcusaureliusregulus2833]

@@Jacked_R_Us I can understand that (..) likes Emilia

[@Ddrenzo]

The problem with saying "my Japanese isn't good" in perfect Japanese grammar will they believe you?

[@theshywolfie6655]

@123rav 123 well thats reassuring XD

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@ericsurf6]

This video was very helpful Misa. Thanks so much.

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@guyklc]

This was very helpful! Not only did you elegantly explained the difference between 上手 下手 and 得意 苦手, but you also told us what is socially acceptable response to questions in Japanese. Thank you, Misa-sensei!

[@lecorbak]

How to say "My Japanese is bad" in one word : Nihao

[@user-jl1nk2ff8p]

Corona ;-;

[@WinduWaika]

😂

[@rasalghul3960]

Well, that's one way to get the point across

[@Chocolategaijin]

I don't get it 0-o

[@meow9985]

@@Chocolategaijin because it isn't japanese lmao

[@systemcm6978]

I just realised 苦手 kinda sounds like "negative" so it should be pretty easy to remember.

[@sukubo313]

It also sounds like 逃げる (nigeru, "to escape/run away"), so you can think of it as "I'm so bad at it, I'm going to run from it."

[@KyrstOak]

Shirikawa Reiichi - XD LOL

[@redsohc]

Should've watched this before going to Japan for the first time! Haha. I just said "Ore no nihongo wa ...". Used "Ore" for kicks and see how much i can get away with. Ah.. fun times!

[@Senayoshy]

this is probably the first phrase i tried to learn in japanese haha, so it's funny seeing you make a video on this :)

[@JapaneseAmmowithMisa]

Yay :3

[@Formair]

Thanks! "My Japanese is bad" is one of the first things I'll say to a Japanese person if I talk to one. Even if if I'll study a lot

[@the_many]

>when you're trying to learn a new language but you have to watch a 20 minute video just to explain that you don't speak the language

[@josiahklein70]

Well, you don't have to. It is optional.

[@shion3948]

Misa explains much more than just a phrase that you came for, she could've just said "the answer to the question in title is "日本語が苦手です" k bye" but she covers all similar topics with it. That's why I love her haha

[@sidnairain]

ロシアからのありがとうございます！ ミサ先生の英語はすごく上手ですね。英語は僕のNativeLanguageじゃないでも、全部分かります。You are great teacher!

[@willywonka7068]

Dominic Grey 母国語 is native language

[@sonicfan73887]

ロシア！すごいね！アメリカ出身だ。アメリカもからミサ先生にのありがとうございます！

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@paulhimsel4838]

I watched this 2 years ago. I always learn more by watching them again. ありがとうございますミサ先生😉

[@Linck192]

Your channel is really good, I've been watching that stains gate video you did a long time ago for a week now, to the point that I memorized all the words I didn't know now. I plan to do that on other videos too. I also really like your kanji videos. I knew all the kanji there already but your method of teaching looks really good and I would love to se that series past the first 400 or 500 first kanji. Please keep going! You should even set up a patreon or something similar because your content is far above average.

[@JapaneseAmmowithMisa]

本当にありがとうxxx

[@user-rm4nl3xq8k]

she already has a patreon.

[@KyrstOak]

lovelive! maniac - Timestamps exist, dude. -_-'

[@mPDC-gh8jy]

カーテンの外、動画の最初は明るいけど最後は暗い。時間を掛けて撮ったのが分かるし動画の繋ぎの多さからも捨てたシーンが多いだろうことが分かる。手間を掛けて丁寧にレッスンを作り込む姿勢が垣間見える。　単なる文法に留まらず「文化的には不自然/言わないほうが良い」と踏み込んでいるところにも好感が持てます。

[@rafadio7194]

みささん、ありがとうございます！I'm truly glad to have found your channel! Your teaching skill is spot-on! Please keep on producing quality videos that are easy to understand. I look forward to more helpful and informative videos. :D

[@TomdeArgentina]

Great lesson. It's fantastic how difficult it is to say I don't speak japanese very well in japanese, it speaks tones about japanese culture I think. Arigato gozaimasu.

[@general_alexus2533]

"So dont use sarcasm ..." well i have a Problem :P

[@diperf]

this is why Japanese is a difficult language for the British.

[@general_alexus2533]

I am from Germany and love sarcasm, in Japanese i wont use it as i would not even know how to do that "the correct way", but if Japanese People are not used to it, it will be dificult to do in englisch as well.

[@erwee7329]

Damn, another form of self expression goes down the drain.

[@TheNotorious14]

lol ikr

[@mattbert87]

Man, I use sarcasm as a default. I think I say more things sarcastically than genuinely.

[@humanbean3]

aww 5 years ago misa is so cute, her english has improved as well she's still cute now, this misa just looks less youtubey, like a humble beginnings

[@im_sorry_i_forgot_my_username]

Just wanted to say, your British-Japanese accent is pretty awesome. These videos are really helpful as well. Arigatou gozaimashita!

[@adam15021992]

Well, I can't help but wonder: how do job interviews in Japan look like considering the "humble culture"? How to be humble in a situation when you have to literally praise yourself and your skills?

[@hanhong2267]

You show your dedication and willingness to serve the company, I suppose. Sounds a bit nightmarish tho, especially considering Japan's work culture

[@eugenin7929]

みさは日本語を教えるのがほんとに上手ですね

[@Baka_Oppai]

You should go over more adjective and verb forms. Some of those most difficult to grasp concepts are those forms and their usage. Great videos as always!

[@bestrafung2754]

私は三年間日本語を勉強してるんだけどまだ下手です。みささんの英語が本当に上手ですよね！

[@feliciaagatha5903]

Premier Stingy そうですね！私は二年間ぐらい日本語を勉強するので、まだ上手成りません。大変ですね

[@OrangeC7]

​@@feliciaagatha5903 そう、日本語は大変ですが、みささんと勉強するのができなす！

[@darkg5103]

Oh my god im 3 months in japaness but i totally understood!

[@bratchny82]

Hi Misa san! I'm learning Japanese using Duolingo, and I'm really enjoying it! I just wanted to say, thanks for teaching me about 'da ne', I didn't know it was an informal way of saying 'desu ne'. May I just say, it sounds like you learned English in the UK, because your accent is quite British :) どうもありがとうございます!

[@esotericist]

Merry Christmas Misa. thank you for being my Japanese teacher.

[@CRb677]

Omg I never know that to use "ne" would make the meaning change between you and I !! So I don't need to use watashi or Anata all the time. Thank you teacher!

[@nadiaaidan2196]

You really should avoid anata in conversation though. Watashi can be use, but not all the time and depend on the situation

[@frostpuma304]

Great lesson about the nuances of these words. I learned something new! :)

[@availablenowondvdvhs794]

I LOVE YOUR LESSONS, THEY ARE SO HELPFUL!!!! ありがとうございます！

[@Wooargh]

My last trip I usually replied to the old "Nihon-go ga jouzu ne" with "ie, boku no nihon-go wa gomi desu" or "kuso yo". Next time I'm going to try with "hontou? Hetakunai?" Thanks for the vid. I love your accent.

[@patriciaaraujo3427]

You are amazing, your channel is also amazing. 本当にありがとうございました

[@MaxNoreg]

Best Japanese teacher ever :) I finally know the difference between jozu and tokui, thanks to you!

[@funguy6844]

I can't believe you've been making videos since 2016!!! How am I just now finding this channel?! Super Rad! 👌🙏

[@StrangeBotwin007]

Misa sensee you are a great facilitator ! the way you explain/simplify things and give lots of examples is just great ! （╹◡╹） ☆。、。、ありがとうございます ！！

[@MOCCIii]

I think sooooooooo!!!! thank you for making this kind of VDO for foreigners :)

[@BiGSmoke-.-]

I hope your Japanese is better now by watching her videos.

[@queue9773]

Misa was so shy and cute back then!

[@CrownQueen69]

Very useful! ありがとうございますミサ先生😊

[@humanbean3]

11:44 : Tokui desu im leaving this as a bookmark for myself to come to, please excuse me my friends

[@worldofelegance15]

great explanation!! This is exactly what I was looking for!! I needed to know all the different nuances in usage, so thank you!!

[@goldengoat1737]

Thank you Misa! You have helped my Japanese so much. It’s still bad but I’m getting better everyday

[@zoelggg4389]

Is there any difference between あんまり and あまり? Some language learning apps have taught me that あまり is not much/not very.

[@martine5912]

So useful ! Japanese is really easy with you ! ありがとうござい

[@MassimoPantiglioni]

教えてくれてありがとうございます ❤️👍✨

[@saturnaut5871]

What if i want to say “Im not confident at speaking japanese?“

[@JoachimderZweite]

All your videos are packed with information. It is wonderful. I wish I had a bigger brain. Many thanks.

[@jeremyT-ASL]

ありがとございます！日本語を話すのが下手です。みささんは日本語を教えるのが上手ですね！

[@scottscott7817]

Misa San wa totemo kawaii desu. Thank you very much Misa. I have learnd a lot from you, I have taken Japanese lessons in the past and I use your videos to unlearn all the wrong things i have been taught :)

[@Blitzentine]

I literally survived Japan by giggling nervously whilst spluttering 「私の日本語はよくないです」。Seemed to go down quite well in 大阪.

[@sasuke1243]

I come back to this video a lot. It's really helpful, thank you :3

[@junidacosta5977]

I love your videos. You always give a lot of very useful advices besides just going straight to the title of the video. I really love it!

[@nonsense-nonsense1]

これは勉強になりました ありがとうございます！

[@victorchen5663]

みささんは日本語を教えるのが上手ですね！

[@yatuiig]

Thank you for this video, i've been wondering about the subtle differences between those words

[@sougabrielamiranda]

You're a incredible teacher! I'm learning a lot ♥ thank you! from Brazil!

[@itsfine5818]

Funny thing is that I was so obsessed with correct pronounciations down to the pitch accents that during my trip to Japan whenever I would get to say one of the ten phrases I knew, people started chatting me up and asking how long I've been living in Japan which resulted in broken and embarrassing explanations that I really don't speak Japanese. Lesson learned. I'm gonna go with sumimaxcuse me and gomen no sorry next time.

[@alana765]

I really love your videos. Thank you very much for doing this!

[@shion3948]

Woah this video seriously helped me a lot

[@anacastaneda6960]

I really appreciate those little cultural tips you give. Learning a language is not enough, you need to know the mentality of the people who speak it as well, so that you don't end up insulting someone. Thank you!

[@BboyGraphicx]

Your explanations help a lot

[@HANSMKAMP]

I wonder: Saying that someone is 下手 (bad at) is harsher to me than あんまり上手じゃない (not very good at). Saying that someone is not very good at something is friendlier or politer to me, than saying that someone is bad at something. Does that feel the same if you say that to a Japanese?

[@valt3586]

As a Chinese speaking - I can differentiate it easily even by just reading the kanji words . There’s a def a difference even by just looking at those four kanji words . Thank you for explaining in the Japanese terms . Have a good day .

[@mmocount1926]

Loving these video's, thank you very much!

[@victorchen5663]

私の日本語が本当に苦手です。でも、みさ先生のビデオがとっても上手ですね！ありがとうございました！

[@kintama_aishiteru712]

You are amazing at teaching, Thank you so much for the amazing videos :D

[@JapaneseAmmowithMisa]

Thanks, sir poops a lot xD

[@daor9]

Best explanation! Thank you very much ❤️

[@32dred]

15:41 gonna be needing that one

[@18Knowledge]

you teaching is so perfect!

[@theUrkyle]

みさ先生は1番KZbin日本語の先生ですありがとうございました

[@kaicerthedog]

How to say "i don't want to live anymore", great videos tho, very academic and illustrative.

[@amerain1729]

私はもう生きたくない。:( Please correct me if I'm wrong

[@frankdelvan1294]

You're a great teacher.

[@icebear8909]

日本語が下手です😭 I've been studying for 3 or 4 months now but can't hold a simple conversation past 元気ですか？・元気です！It's hard to find native speakers to talk to outside of Japan.

[@rafaelkronck4987]

Caleb83 that's nothing bro! I've been already an year learning and I feel it, it's very hard to break this beginner barrier. As far as I've seen... It takes more or less 4 years of constant studying to actually get fluent

[@dafthar7972]

Have you tried italki? Many people recommend it! I know your comment is about 1 y.o. so I do believe you've greatly improved your language skills:)

[@Dreamblackgirl]

You can use Hello talk app to talk with native speaker

[@osonhodeleon]

Another great video.

[@JoachimderZweite]

This was excellent. EXCELLENT! Sorry for shouting Sensei.

[@theramendutchman]

Oh horror, this explains the confused looks at my 「ごめんなさい、私の日本語はよないです。」 which means "I'm sorry, my Japanese isn't good." though self-constructed and apparently harder to understand for them! 日本語が得意ではありません, 日本語が得意ではありません, 日本語が得意ではありません, 日本語が得意ではありません... It shall be my evening mantra until I get good at Japanese! But honestly, thank you for your thorough explanations, breaking sentences down and so forth! Truly, thank you! Also, small question: isn't using ね a lot somewhat feminine, though? At least that's what I've heard, and it concerns me a little to use it as a male ^_^'

[@flaviosoares1639]

Thank you very much, Misa sensei!

[@kotowaza-sensei428]

My favorite answer is : 「いいえ、まだまだです」

[@ProfessionalSeaOfTeaSwimmer]

13:00 difference of how much I'm confident

[@Joy54]

really cool, i love your way of teaching! ^^

[@prey_ssbm]

日本語がへたです。I was wondering, before saying this, would you maybe say some form of "sorry"? For example, if someone said something to you in Japanese, and you didn't understand and wanted to say "Sorry, my japanese isn't very good". ”すみません” げんきです？

[@anne102]

日本語が下手ですけど,毎日少しだけ勉強をします。

[@MsCacaguete]

I have a question: how can you answer to a compliment like "your Japanese is good"? I was told that some time ago and it was a bit awkward, as I felt that saying "thank you" was kind of acknowledging it and not very humble/polite

[@bmfs348]

I am not a native speaker, so take this with a grain of salt, but some Japanese speakers I know will respond to compliments with いえいえ, as a polite way of saying "no" to the compliment. Hope I could help!

[@lamo543]

Something like 上手じゃないよ or そんな事ないよ

[@gzooks2300]

Brett, I've heard the same thing. It's a way of being modest. You're not really contradicting the compliment.

[@dany98dee]

i've been taught in japanese class that you could say まだまだです。which is more like "i still have a lot to learn/ i still have a long way to go/ i'm not there yet", or just say いいえ、へたです。i'm also not a native but thought i could share. i used both answers to japanese people before and it seemed like i gave them quite a natural answer.

[@antonioescobar4183]

Hai Teacher.. you teach it very good... Congratulations !!! Regards from Paraguay

[@maxmansullivan7401]

Thank you so much!

[@lukemacinnes5124]

I think you should use the incorrect way of saying it, gets the point across, haha.

[@pc-w8844]

I normally use '日本語はうまくありません'. Also when Japanese people stop saying 'Oh your Japanese is very good' when you first speak Japanese to them then you know that your Japanese is actually pretty good.

[@longtin5355]

very good explanation

[@mrnarason]

Did Misa study english in Australia or England? because she has an English accent.

[@angolin9352]

You think so? Her accent sounds very Aussie to me.

[@Nakuke3]

She lives in the UK.

[@petresgaminghaven8766]

From what I know she learned it in England but lives in Japan

[@user-xx7pg3vw9k]

Angolin oh wow, I hear English.

[@ansong6271]

Thanks Misa sensei. I like the videos and they are very helpful. Could you perhaps balance your audio a little better when producing the video? The volume is very low compared to other videos on YT. Also could you include some differences in speech for men and women? My friend told me I shouldn’t use “ne “ so often because it sounds effeminate. Thanks so much for the videos again. Keep up the good work.

[@Narxfang]

How do I say I'm "CONFIDENT that I'm BAD at japanese" xD hahahah "Nihongo wa Heta ga Tokui Desu" Would that work?

[@marcusaureliusregulus2833]

🤣🤣..sorry idk..but that's some idea

[@studioappologia]

Thank you, it's been a while i was wondering how to say "my japanese is not good" i only knew jozu for positive

[@broadwayhotel8]

how do you say "I am learning how to speak Japanese " in Japanese ?

[@jacobxi6588]

Hi Misa, i LOVE all your videos! Can I ask you a question? Instead of 泳ぐのが下手です、can i say泳ぎが下手です？

[@Andrewkin77]

ごさりさんのMMDが本当に好きです！このダンスに千織と出来ますか？ 日本語がまだあんまり上手じゃないなので　(ロシア人ですから)、文法悪くてごめんなさい

[@heheh6285]

ありがとうございます!

[@pjdilip]

Misu sensei like peeling the onion, jozu and tokai!

[@andybrown8981]

15:00 Could i also use きらいじゃないです (i dont dislike it)here? does it have the same meaning as にがて when talking about likes and dislikes? Also ive learnt おなっかへた means im hungry, so is the literal translation my stomach is bad ?

[@spicyoneoneone5060]

Andy Brown I'm hungry in japanese is おなかがへった。not おなかがへた!!。 and another words about HUNGRY in japanese is おなかがすいた。 はらへった。

[@yunoewig3095]

The へた in おなかがへった is the past tense of 減る. So a different word. Literally it means "my stomach is empty".