嫌(いや)

いや
na-adjective
unpleasant, reluctant
See also: 否(いや) (no, nay (否))
1. unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful
Describes feelings of dislike or discomfort toward something.
嫌(いや)な予感(よかん)がする。
I have a bad feeling.
嫌(いや)な臭(にお)いがする。
There's an unpleasant smell.
嫌(いや)な思(おも)い出(で)を思(おも)い出(だ)した。
I remembered an unpleasant memory.
2. reluctant, unwilling
Used when someone is unwilling to do something.
「行(い)きたくない」「嫌(いや)だ」
'I don't want to go.' 'No way.'
野菜(やさい)を食(た)べるのが嫌(いや)だ。
I hate eating vegetables.
嫌(いや)なら無理(むり)しなくていいよ。
If you don't want to, you don't have to force yourself.

嫌(いや) is a na-adjective expressing strong dislike, discomfort, or unwillingness. It is one of the most common ways to express negative feelings in everyday Japanese.

Usage

  • 嫌(いや)だ: direct refusal or expression of dislike ("No way" / "I don't want to")
  • 嫌(いや)な + noun: modifies a noun to mean unpleasant or disagreeable
  • 嫌(いや)になる: to get sick of, to become fed up with

Common collocations

  • 嫌(いや)な予感(よかん): a bad feeling
  • 嫌(いや)な気持(きも)ち: an unpleasant feeling
  • 嫌(いや)な臭(にお)い: an unpleasant smell
  • 嫌(いや)な思(おも)い: an unpleasant experience/memory

Similar words

  • 嫌(きら)い: expresses dislike as a personal preference ("I don't like X"), while 嫌(いや) emphasizes the feeling of aversion or reluctance in the moment
  • 不快(ふかい): more formal/literary word for unpleasant

Related Words

Compare: 嫌(きら)い (dislike (personal preference))
Compare: 不快(ふかい) (more formal/literary word for unpleasant)
general
Added 2026.2.5 23:29 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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