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Unskilled, poor at something, or clumsy
彼は料理が下手だ
He is bad at cooking
下手な英語
Poor English
Often used to describe someone's lack of skill in a particular area
The left side (of a stage, screen, etc.)
下手側の席
The left-side seats
Used in theater, film, and other performance contexts
When referring to someone's lack of skill, it's often more polite to use '不器用' (clumsy) or '未熟' (inexperienced) instead of '下手'
The meaning of '下手' can change dramatically based on context - always consider whether it's being used to describe skill level or spatial positioning
Combination of '下' (below, inferior) and '手' (hand), literally meaning 'below the hand'
Can be used to describe both people and things, but be cautious as it can sound harsh if used to describe someone directly