嫌いだ・きらいだ (dislike)

Japanese Grammar Basic Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral きらいkirai
Reading きらい
Romaji kirai
Formation Person + は + Thing/Person + が + 嫌いだ/です
Kanji breakdown 嫌 (ken/kira) = dislike, hate

Meaning

A na-adjective expressing dislike or aversion towards something or someone. The disliked object is marked with が, and the person who dislikes is marked with は. It is the direct opposite of 好きだ.

Like 好きだ, 嫌いだ is a na-adjective, not a verb. It follows the same grammatical patterns: 嫌いな食べ物 (food I dislike), 嫌いではない (don't dislike). The thing disliked takes が. In Japanese culture, directly saying something is 嫌い can feel quite strong and blunt, so speakers often soften it with あまり好きじゃない (don't really like) or ちょっと苦手 (a bit weak with). 大嫌い intensifies the meaning to 'hate' or 'detest.' Be aware that saying 嫌いだ about a person to their face is considered very harsh. The kanji 嫌 also appears in 嫌だ (iyada — I don't want to, I hate this), which is a separate expression.

Examples

  1. 弟は野菜が嫌いです。 My younger brother dislikes vegetables.
  2. 私は暑い日が嫌いだ。 I dislike hot days.
  3. 嫌いな食べ物はありますか。 Is there any food you dislike?

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: expressive

Do Say

  • 虫が嫌いです。
  • 満員電車が嫌いだ。
  • あまり好きじゃないけど、食べられます。

Don't Say

  • 私はにんじんを嫌いです。(Using を instead of が — the disliked thing takes が with 嫌いだ) → 私はにんじんが嫌いです。
  • 運動が嫌いだです。(Adding だ before です — 嫌い connects directly to です) → 運動が嫌いです。

Origin & History

The kanji 嫌 is composed of 女 (woman) and 兼 (combine/double), originally suggesting a feeling of reluctance or aversion. It has been used as a na-adjective expressing dislike since the medieval period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

ある (existence of inanimate things) Indicates that an inanimate object exists or is located somewhere. It is the counterpart of いる, which is used for animate beings. ある is one of the most fundamental verbs in Japanese and is essential for describing the presence or location of things. いる (existence of animate things) Indicates that an animate being — a person, animal, or other living creature — exists or is located somewhere. It is the animate counterpart of ある and is one of the first verbs learners must master for describing who or what is present. いる (progressive / ongoing state) Used after the て-form of a verb to indicate that an action is currently in progress or that a state resulting from a past action continues. This is the most common way to express the English present progressive ('is doing') in Japanese. する (causing a state or action) The verb する is used to indicate that someone or something causes a state or action to take place. It is the most basic and widely used verb in Japanese, functioning as 'to do' and forming the basis of hundreds of compound verbs with nouns. 分かる・わかる (understand) Expresses that something becomes clear, understandable, or known to someone spontaneously. The thing understood is marked with が, and the person who understands is marked with に or は. It describes a natural, involuntary process of comprehension. 好きだ・すきだ (like) A na-adjective that expresses liking or fondness for something or someone. The liked object is marked with が, and the person who likes is marked with は. It functions as an adjective describing a state of preference, not a verb. 知る・しる (come to know) Describes acquiring information or knowledge from an external source. The basic form 知る indicates the moment of learning something new, while the te-form 知っている expresses the resulting state of knowing. ある (resultant state) Used after the て-form of a transitive verb to indicate that something has been done and the resulting state remains. This pattern emphasises the current condition that resulted from a completed action, rather than the action itself.
Practice this on WordLoci

Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation and spaced repetition