先生が嫌い
sensei ga kirai
The English phrase "I hate my teacher" can be translated into Japanese as 先生が嫌い (sensei ga kirai).
This phrase is used to express a strong dislike or negative feeling toward one's teacher.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 先生 (teacher), the subject marker が (ga) and the adjective 嫌い (dislike/hate).
Which one should you use?
While 嫌い (kirai) expresses a strong dislike, it is a common and grammatically standard way to express "hate".
How does it change in a sentence?
For a casual tone, add だ (da) to the end to create 先生が嫌いだ.
How do you pronounce it?
sensei ga kirai
Did you know?
- In Japanese, 先生 (sensei) is not just a job title but a respectful honorific used for doctors, lawyers, authors and politicians.
- While 'hate' sounds very aggressive in English, using 嫌い (kirai) can sometimes sound like a matter of personal preference or taste, similar to saying 'I don't like this food'. It lacks the visceral, violent connotation that 'hate' often carries in English-speaking cultures.
- If you were to write this phrase in a diary or a formal essay, you would use the kanji 嫌い, but in very casual text messages, young people often use katakana to write it as キライ. This stylistic choice can make the emotion feel more blunt or 'pop' off the page.
Examples in context
- 先生が嫌いです。I dislike my teacher.
- 先生が嫌いだ。I hate my teacher.
- あの先生が嫌いです。Ano sensei ga kirai desu.I hate that teacher.
- 数学の先生が嫌いなんだ。Suugaku no sensei ga kirai nanda.I hate my math teacher.
- 新しい先生が嫌い。Atarashii sensei ga kirai.I hate the new teacher.
Example conversation
Two students are talking privately in the school hallway.
- 蓮 Ren実は、新しい先生が嫌いなんだ。Jitsu wa, atarashii sensei ga kirai nanda.To be honest, I hate the new teacher.
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、どうして？E', doushite?What? Why?
- 蓮 Renすごく厳しいから。Sugoku kibishii kara.Because he is very strict.
- 結衣 Yuiそれは大変だね。Sore wa taihen dane.That sounds tough.
