Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
Wild Nihongo!
きらいだ

きらいだ

きらいだ Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: な-Adjective

Essential Meaning: To dislike

Construction: な-Adjective

Notes:

  • Unlike the English verbs “Like” and “Dislike“, the Japanese equivalents すきだ (好すきだ in kanji) and きらいだ (嫌きらいだ in kanji) are adjectives. They require the XはYが structure, where X is the person who likes / dislikes something and Y is the thing that is liked or disliked.
    • E.g. マークはケーキが嫌きらいだ。[Mark dislikes cake.] In this case, Mark is the one who dislikes, and cake is the thing that is disliked.
  • The は particle cannot be used in subordinate clauses, so in subordinate clauses the experiencer is marked by が rather than by は.
    • E.g. 私わたしがチーズが嫌きらいなことはみんな知しっている。[Everyone knows the fact that I dislike cheese.] In this case, the experiencer (i.e. 私わたし) is marked by が.
    • E.g. 僕ぼくが嫌きらいな季節きせつは冬ふゆです。[The season that I dislike is winter.] In this case, the experiencer (i.e. 僕ぼく) is marked by が.
  • To say “Like a lot” or “Dislike a lot”, you can affix だい (大だい in kanji) before 好すきだ or 嫌きらいだ to add emphasis, as in 大だい好すきだ or 大だい嫌きらいだ.
    • E.g. クリスはチーズケーキが大だい嫌きらいだ。[Chris hates cheesecake.]

Example Sentences:

私わたしはチーズが嫌きらいだ。[I dislike cheese.]

僕ぼくは冬ふゆが嫌きらいだ。[I dislike Winter.]

ホワイトさんはフットボールが大だい嫌きらいです。[Mr. White hates football.]

WILD Examples:

Listen to this line from 2:32: 考かんがえすぎで言葉ことばに詰つまる、自分じぶんの不器用ぶきようさが嫌きらい、でも秒びょうに器用きように立たち振ふる舞まう、自分じぶんはそれ以上いじょうに嫌きらい [I overthink and trip over my words, I hate my awkwardness. Then a second later I my awkwardness under control, and I hate myself even more.]

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