Translation guide
To strongly dislike or hate something or someone. In Japanese, expressing strong dislike often depends on the target (person, action, thing) and the level of formality. Direct translations like 嫌う can sound harsh; learners should choose expressions based on context.
Expressing that you hate or cannot stand someone or something, in casual to neutral contexts.
The most common and natural way to say you detest or hate something/someone. A na-adjective used with だ/です. Stronger than 嫌い.
私は虫が大嫌いです。
I detest bugs.
彼のことが大嫌いだ。
I detest him.
Means 'dislike' or 'hate'. Less intense than 大嫌い, but can still convey strong dislike depending on tone and context.
私は嘘をつく人が嫌いです。
I detest people who lie.
A verb meaning 'to hate' or 'to detest'. More formal and direct than 嫌い. Often used in written or formal speech. Can sound harsh if used about people in casual conversation.
彼は不正を激しく嫌っている。
He detests injustice intensely.
Expressing that you hate doing an action or being in a situation.
Use with a verb in dictionary form + の + が大嫌い. The most natural way to say you detest doing something.
私は早起きするのが大嫌いです。
I detest getting up early.
彼は負けるのが大嫌いだ。
He detests losing.
Similar to above but slightly less intense. Still conveys strong dislike.
私は人前で話すのが嫌いです。
I detest speaking in public.
Expressing that something is so unpleasant you cannot tolerate it.
Literally 'cannot endure'. Used for things you find unbearable or detestable. Often used with ほど or くらい to emphasize.
彼の態度には我慢できない。
I detest his attitude. (I can't stand his attitude.)
この暑さは我慢できないほど嫌だ。
I detest this heat so much I can't stand it.
Similar to 我慢できない, meaning 'unbearable'. Slightly more formal/literary.
その光景は見るに耐えられないものだった。
It was a sight I detested seeing. (It was an unbearable sight.)
Expressing intense hatred or moral revulsion, often in formal or written contexts.
Means 'to hate' or 'to detest' with a nuance of deep grudge or moral condemnation. Stronger and more serious than 嫌う. Use carefully.
彼は裏切った友人を心から憎んでいる。
He detests the friend who betrayed him from the bottom of his heart.
To abhor or detest, often with a sense of taboo or strong aversion. Used in formal or literary contexts.
While 嫌う is a direct translation of 'detest', it can sound overly harsh or formal in everyday speech. For most situations, 大嫌い or 嫌い are more natural.
大嫌い is explicitly stronger, like 'hate' or 'detest'. 嫌い is 'dislike' but can be intensified by tone. When in doubt, 大嫌い clearly conveys strong dislike.
When detesting an abstract concept or a general action, こと can replace の in 〜のが大嫌い, though の is more common in speech. こと sounds slightly more formal.
嘘をつくことを嫌う。
Detest lying.
その習慣は社会から忌み嫌われている。
That custom is detested by society.