嫌い

• Reading: きらい
• Romaji: kirai
• Kanji breakdown: 嫌 (kira/ken/iya) — dislike, hate, disagreeable
• Pronunciation: /ki.ɾa.i/

Meaning

Disliked; hated; to not like. Expresses a strong negative preference for something.

A na-adjective and noun expressing dislike. Grammatically, the thing disliked is marked with が: 野菜が嫌いです (I dislike vegetables). Stronger than 好きじゃない (don not like) but used commonly in everyday speech without sounding overly harsh. The noun form 嫌い can also mean 'dislike' as in 食わず嫌い (disliking something without trying it).

Examples

1. 弟は野菜が嫌いです。 My younger brother doesn't like vegetables.
2. 嫌いな食べ物はありますか。 Is there any food you don't like?
3. 勉強が嫌いではありません。 I don't hate studying.

Usage Guide

Context: preferences, food, daily life

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Derived from the verb 嫌う (kirau, to dislike/hate). The kanji 嫌 combines 女 (woman) and 兼 (simultaneously), though the etymological connection is debated. The word has been in use since the Heian period.

Cultural Context

Era: Heian

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal