Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 憎む | nikumu | [ɲ̟ikɯ̟mɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 嫌う | kirau | [kʲiɾa̠ɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 厭う | itou | [ito̞ɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 嫌悪する | ken'o suru |
While there are several ways to express dislike, the choice depends on the intensity and context. For instance, 大嫌い is used to denote a strong dislike or intense hatred towards someone or something. In more neutral or soft contexts, 好きじゃない typically means 'don't like' but can also express dislike or mild hatred. You might also use 苦手 to mean being 'weak' or 'not good at' something, which can express a strong aversion or dislike.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in their emotional weight and typical subjects. 憎む is used for deep, intense or even vengeful hatred, often directed at a person or an enemy. In contrast, 嫌う is more common and versatile, used for both strong dislike and general distaste for things like food, weather or habits. 厭う expresses a sense of loathing or being weary of something. Finally, 嫌悪する describes the psychological state of feeling intense disgust or abhorrence.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
嫌悪する is a more formal, noun-based verb (suru-verb). 厭う is a literary or archaic way to express loathing. In internet culture, the slang term ヘイト is used specifically to refer to 'hate speech' or 'hate comments'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
嫌悪する functions as a suru-verb to describe the feeling of abhorrence or disgust.
How do you pronounce it?
nikumu
When do people say it?
In the context of internet culture, the katakana word ヘイト is used to refer to negative interactions such as 'hate speech' or 'hate comments'.
Did you know?
- The phrase 大嫌い is often used by children or in romantic contexts to mean 'I hate you' in a playful or exaggerated way, which is very different from the vengeful tone of 憎む.
- The word 嫌う may be distantly related to the verb 切る, which means 'to cut'. This suggests an ancient conceptual link between hating something and cutting it away.
- In Japanese, you can express a strong dislike for a person or food by saying you are 苦手 'weak' at them. It is a common social strategy to frame hatred as a personal lack of skill or compatibility.
Examples in context
- 私を憎むな！Don't hate me!Tatoeba #844585 by arihato, translation #666047 by bluepie88
- 子供って、肝油を嫌うね。Children hate cod liver oil.Tatoeba #9035033 by small_snow, translation #3734310 by CK
- なぜ君はそんなに彼のことを嫌うの？Why do you hate him so much?Tatoeba #4216204 by KK_kaku_, translation #3915642 by CH
- 彼の行動には嫌悪感を抱いています。I have a strong sense of disgust towards his actions.
- その店のサービスは大嫌いだよ。I absolutely hate the service at that store.
- 数学が苦手で嫌いだ。I hate math because I'm weak at it.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a past conflict.
- 美咲 Misaki昔の友人を今でも憎んでいますか？Mukashi no yuujin o ima demo nikunde imasu ka?Do you still hate your old friend?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、もう憎んでいませんよ。Iie, mou nikunde imasen yo.No, I don't hate them anymore.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは良かったです。許すのは難しいですもんね。Sore wa yokatta desu. Yurusu no wa muzukashii desu mon ne.That's good. Forgiving is difficult, after all.
- 健太 Kentaはい。憎むのは疲れますから。Hai. Nikumu no wa tsukaremasu kara.Yes. Because hating is exhausting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hate” translations and entries 憎む, 嫌う, 厭う, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 厭う, 嫌う, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
