きらい

きらい (きらい嫌い) is a な-adjective meaning "dislike" or "not fond of." It is used to express that someone does not like something or someone. The thing or person that is disliked is marked with the particle が, while the person who dislikes is marked with は.

Basic structure

The basic pattern is: [Person] は [Thing/Person] が きらい（だ／です）

Because きらい is a な-adjective, it requires だ (casual) or です (polite) at the end of a sentence, and な when modifying a noun:

Degree of dislike

To express a stronger dislike, use 大きらい (だいきらい大嫌い). This means "really hate" or "can't stand."

Negative form

The negative form きらいじゃない or きらいではない means "don't dislike," which is a softer way of saying you somewhat like something – without fully committing to すき好き.

きらい vs. 好きじゃない

Both きらい and 好きじゃない ("don't like") express a negative feeling, but きらい is more direct and stronger. Saying すき好きじゃない is a softer, more indirect way to express that you don't like something, while きらい clearly states dislike.