To me it sound a bit... vulgar since I have unspeakable associations in other languages about this verb.
I saw that some of you ladies used. I do not understand the meaning of this phrase “ I keep getting told that I suck at languages.“ google is of no use.
Neal gave a good answer, and Irena did too. But, suck is one of those context-driven words. So, it can mean a lot of different things. You can suck at something, like Irena said, i.e., be a flop at doing something, or it can mean a bad outcome. Or, it can definitely have a vulgar meaning, used the right way, within the right context and with the right words. We all know what THAT meaning would refer to.
But, it’s overall a fairly benign word in its general use. For example, if Icelandair doesn’t give me my upgrade to Sage Class, after I bid on it, THAT would really suck big time!
I don’t know if things have changed, but we didn’t use that word growing up as kids. My parents wouldn’t have liked it, I don’t think. But, that was the 60s. Unless you were using it in its polite normal sense, like sucking your cool-aid through a straw, I didn’t hear it that much. But, then I started hearing it all the time in the 80s, and it started to lose it’s pizazz. But, since it is colloquial you shouldn’t really hear it on TV or see it written (forget youtube news-anything goes there).
But, if you stick with just “I suck at that” or “if Steven doesn’t get his airline Saga Class upgrade to the Fatherland (as Neal and Jerry like to call it) that will REALLY suck” -which we all agree on- you will be fine. No one will misunderstand what you mean.