苦手
にがて · nigate · JLPT N3 · na-adj
dislike
苦手 = bitter + hand: a skill that leaves a bitter taste in your hands
苦 (nigai) means bitter or hard, and 手 (te) means hand, which also stands for skill. Something you are poor at, or dislike doing, is a bitter hand. Compare 上手 (jōzu), upper hand, which means skilled.
苦 — grass radical 艹 + 古 (old)
Originally referred to a bitter-tasting plant, with the grass radical 艹 indicating its botanical nature and 古 providing the phonetic element. The meaning extended from the literal bitter taste to figurative senses of hardship, suffering, and painful effort.
手 — pictograph of a hand with five fingers
手 is a pictograph showing an open hand with fingers and a wrist. Early bronze and oracle bone forms clearly depict five splayed fingers, which simplified over time into the modern shape. It keeps its original meaning of 'hand' and also serves as a radical in many characters related to hand actions.