嫌(きら)い

嫌(きら)い is a na-adjective expressing dislike. Unlike English "hate," it covers mild dislikes as well as strong ones, so it is the ordinary word for "I don't like it."

Similar words

• 好(す)き: like
• 嫌(きら)いじゃない / 嫌(きら)いではない: don't dislike
• 大嫌(だいきら)い: really hate
• 苦手(にがて): 嫌(きら)い states an emotional dislike; 苦手(にがて) says the speaker is bad at something or ill at ease with it, and is the politer choice for foods, subjects, and people.

Common patterns

• 〜が嫌(きら)い: dislike ~ (野菜(やさい)が嫌(きら)い)
• 嫌(きら)いな + noun: disliked ~ (嫌(きら)いな食(た)べ物(もの))
• 嫌(きら)いになる: to come to dislike

が marks what is disliked. は replaces が when the item is contrasted with something else: 野菜(やさい)は嫌(きら)いです (vegetables, at least, I don't like).

Watch out

Saying 嫌(きら)い directly about a person is blunt and can sound harsh. Speakers usually soften it: 苦手(にがて) (not comfortable with), あまり好(す)きではない (not very fond of).