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."

Forms

• 嫌(きら)いだ: (I) dislike
• 嫌(きら)いな + noun: disliked ~
• 嫌(きら)いではない / 嫌(きら)いじゃない: don't dislike

Intensity scale

• 好(す)き: like
• 嫌(きら)いじゃない: don't dislike
• 嫌(きら)い: dislike
• 大嫌(だいきら)い: really hate

Common patterns

• 〜が嫌(きら)い: dislike ~
• 嫌(きら)いになる: to come to dislike
• 嫌(きら)いではありません: I don't dislike (polite denial)

が marks what is disliked: 野菜(やさい)が嫌(きら)い (dislike vegetables). The topic marker 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).

CAUTION — PEOPLE:
Saying 嫌(きら)い directly about a person is blunt and can sound harsh. In conversation 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), or 好(す)きじゃない.

CONTRAST WITH 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.