Japanese word

嫌

Pronunciation

Romajiiya

Meaning

  • na-adjectivedislike, don't like

Example

これは嫌です。ko re wa iya de su

I dislike this.

Illustration for 嫌 (dislike)

More examples

この味は嫌です。ko no aji wa iya de su

I don't like this taste.

人前で話すのは、まだ嫌です。hito mae de hana su no wa ma da iya de su

I still dislike speaking in front of people.

Core concept

嫌 (iya, "dislike") centers on feeling that something does not suit one's wishes and should be rejected.

Common phrases

  • 嫌なことiya na ko to

    something unpleasant

  • 嫌な気持ちiya na ki mo chi

    an unpleasant feeling

Similar words

嫌いkirai: Expresses a general dislike of a person, thing, or activity.
苦手nigate: Describes something that causes difficulty or unease for a person.

Definition in Japanese

気に入らず、したくない、または受け入れたくないと思うさま。ki ni hai ra zu shi ta ku na i ma ta wa u ke i re ta ku na i to omo u sa ma

Word origin

嫌 (iya, "dislike") is a native Japanese adjective; its usual kanji 嫌 is a meaning-based writing borrowed from Chinese characters.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 嫌 (iya) can be softened by adding a reason, because a bare refusal may sound more forceful than intended.

Other meanings

  • unpleasantna-adjective
  • not wantna-adjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word