反感を買う

• Reading: はんかんをかう
• Romaji: hankan wo kau
• Kanji breakdown: 反 (han) — anti, oppose; 感 (kan) — feeling; 買 (ka/bai) — buy, incur
• Pronunciation: /haɴ.kaɴ.o.ka.ɯ/

Meaning

To antagonise; to provoke antipathy; to invite resentment from others through one's actions.

An idiomatic expression combining 反感 (antipathy) with 買う (to buy/incur). Group 1 (godan) conjugation via 買う. Here 買う means 'to invite upon oneself' rather than 'to purchase.' Common in news and social commentary.

Examples

1. あの発言は多くの人の反感を買った。 That comment antagonized a lot of people.
2. 上から目線の態度は反感を買いやすい。 A condescending attitude tends to rub people the wrong way.
3. 改革を急ぎすぎて、社内の反感を買ってしまった。 Rushing the reforms too quickly ended up provoking resentment within the company.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, politics, social relations

Tone: cautionary

Origin & History

Uses 買う in its extended sense of 'incurring' or 'inviting upon oneself' (as in 恨みを買う). The metaphor treats negative feelings as something one acquires through one's own behaviour.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal