いや

• Reading: いや
• Romaji: iya
• Pronunciation: /i.ja/

Meaning

Disliking; unwilling; reluctant. Expresses aversion or refusal.

A na-adjective expressing dislike, unwillingness, or displeasure. The kanji form 嫌 exists but hiragana いや is common in casual use. As a na-adjective, it takes な before nouns (いやなこと = unpleasant thing) and uses じゃない for negation. Often used with が or だ: 勉強がいやだ (I don't want to study). Also appears in the emphatic いやだ! (No way! / I don't want to!).

Examples

1. 宿題をするのがいやです。 I hate doing homework.
2. いやな天気ですね。 What unpleasant weather, huh?
3. いやだと言ってもやらなければなりません。 Even if you say no, you still have to do it.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, refusal, daily life

Tone: negative

Origin & History

The kanji 嫌 combines the woman radical (女) with 兼 (combine/double), originally suggesting a feeling of discomfort or aversion. Used since classical Japanese to express displeasure.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal