ここが嫌いです
koko ga kirai desu
In Japanese, the phrase for "I hate this place" is ここが嫌いです (koko ga kirai desu).
This phrase is used to express a strong dislike for the location where the speaker is currently located. While often translated as "hate", the word kirai more accurately describes a strong "dislike" compared to the intensity sometimes implied by the English word "hate".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of koko (this place), ga (subject marker), kirai (dislike/hate) and desu (to be).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form ここが嫌いです uses desu at the end, making it a polite statement, though the sentiment remains very direct. To make the expression more informal and blunt, you can replace desu with da or drop it entirely, resulting in ここが嫌いだ.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, which is prevalent in the Osaka area, you may hear the regional variation ここは大っ嫌いやわ.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the phrase in the past tense, such as "I hated this place", you can change desu to deshita or use the plain past form kirai datta.
How do you pronounce it?
koko ga kirai desu
Did you know?
- In polite Japanese society, stating koko ga kirai desu directly is extremely rare. People typically use softer expressions like koko wa chotto… and leave the sentence unfinished, allowing the listener to infer the dislike.
- To express an even stronger version of 'hate', Japanese speakers add the prefix dai to create daikirai. Paradoxically, the same prefix is used in daisuki to mean 'love', as both describe an extreme emotional intensity.
- The word kirai is technically a 'na-adjective' meaning 'disliked', not a verb. This means in Japanese, you aren't performing the action of hating, but rather describing the place as having the quality of being hated.
Examples in context
- この場所が大嫌いです。I hate this place.
- ここは最悪だよ。This place is the worst.
Example conversation
Two friends are visiting a noisy and crowded tourist spot.
- 大翔 Hirotoここ、いいところだね。Koko, ii tokoro da ne.This is a nice place, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiいいえ、私はここが嫌いです。Iie, watashi wa koko ga kirai desu.No, I hate this place.
- 大翔 Hirotoどうして嫌いなの？Dōshite kirai nano?Why do you hate it?
- 美咲 Misaki人が多すぎて疲れます。Hito ga ōsugite tsukaremasu.There are too many people, and it's tiring.
