大嫌い
daikirai[da̠ikʲiɾa̠i]
In Japanese, "I despise you" is expressed as 大嫌い (daikirai).
大嫌い is a strong statement used to tell someone that you hate them very much. In Japanese, the subject "I" and the object "you" are often omitted when the context makes it clear who is being addressed. While 大嫌い expresses deep hatred, other expressions exist for different levels of contempt. For example, 全く敬意を持っていません can be used to say "I have no respect for you whatsoever," and the extremely offensive 死ね translates literally to "Die!" to communicate intense contempt.
Which one should you use?
Different forms change the intensity and tone of your dislike. 嫌いだ is a casual way to say "I dislike you," whereas 大嫌いだ means "I really dislike you" or "I can't stand you."
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the phrase in the past tense, such as "I despised you" or "I hated you," add the auxiliary verb でした to the end of the phrase to form 大嫌いでした.
How do you pronounce it?
daikirai
Did you know?
- While 大嫌い is a strong expression of dislike, it is frequently used in Japanese pop culture, such as anime or manga, to convey a 'tsundere' character's embarrassment or defensive affection.
- If you use the more formal version 大嫌いです, you are simultaneously expressing extreme hatred and extreme politeness, creating a jarring social contradiction.
- Unlike English where 'hate' is often used hyperbolically to mean 'I don't like this food', using 大嫌い toward a person in Japan carries a much heavier social weight and is rarely used lightly.
Examples in context
- あなたのことは大嫌い。Anata no koto wa daikirai.I despise you.
Example conversation
A heated argument between a couple in a park.
- 健太 Kentaどうしてそんな嘘をつくの？Doushite sonna uso o tsuku no?Why do you tell such lies?
- 陽葵 Himariそんなつもりじゃなかったんだ。Sonna tsumori janakatta n da.I didn't mean it that way.
- 健太 Kentaもう、あなたのことなんて大嫌い！Mou, anata no koto nante daikirai!I despise you so much!
- 陽葵 Himariごめん、健太。Gomen, Kenta.I'm sorry, Kenta.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 大嫌い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
