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Kotomora

嫌

dislike, detest, hate

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ケン
  • ゲン

Kun'yomi

  • きら.う
  • きら.い
  • いや

Meaning

嫌 centers on a strong negative feeling toward something: disliking, detesting, or hating it.

Most common words using 嫌

20 of 125
  • 嫌いや
    N5

    disliking; not wanting; unwilling (to do); reluctant

  • 嫌いきらい
    N5

    disliked; hated; disagreeable

  • 嫌うきらう
    N3

    to hate; to dislike; to loathe; to abhor

  • 機嫌きげん
    N3

    humour; humor; temper; mood; spirits

  • 大嫌いだいきらい
    N1

    hating; strongly disliking

  • 嫌がらせいやがらせ
    N1

    harassment; pestering

  • 嫌悪けんお
    N1

    disgust; hate; repugnance; loathing

  • 嫌らしいいやらしい
    N1

    unpleasant; disagreeable; nasty

  • 嫌がるいやがる
    N3

    to appear uncomfortable (with); to seem to hate; to express dislike

  • 好き嫌いすききらい
    N2

    likes and dislikes; tastes; preferences; pickiness (esp. about food); choosiness; fussiness

  • 嫌気いやき

    dislike; disgust; disinclination; tired of

  • 嫌味いやみ
    N2

    disagreeableness; unpleasantness; nastiness; offensiveness; tastelessness

  • ご機嫌ようごきげんよう

    nice to see you; good morning; good evening

  • 嫌疑けんぎ

    suspicion

  • 負けず嫌いまけずぎらい
    N1

    hating to lose; unyielding; unbending; competitive; sore loser; determined

  • 毛嫌いけぎらい

    antipathy; prejudice

  • 上機嫌じょうきげん
    N3

    good humour (humor); good mood

  • 人嫌いひとぎらい

    misanthropy; misanthrope

  • 食わず嫌いくわずぎらい
    N1

    disliking a certain food without having tried it

  • 嫌煙けんえん

    dislike of smoking

Explore all words using 嫌 →

Study

Etymology

嫌 combines 女 (woman) with 兼, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest a sense of being combined or involved, but the exact semantic link to dislike is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

A woman 女 beside 兼, which looks like a hand holding two things together. Imagine a woman forced to combine with something she hates, making her dislike it intensely.

Reading mnemonic

For ケン, picture Ken, a man who strongly dislikes something, making a disgusted face: Ken -> ケン, and his dislike is clear.