The Kanji: 嫌 (Iya / Ken)
The kanji 嫌 (read as ken or iya) carries the core meaning of "dislike," "hate," "disgust," or "aversion." It is composed of the radical 女 (woman) and 兼 (concurrently), with one historical interpretation suggesting a sentiment of jealousy or dislike involving women. In modern usage, it broadly expresses strong negative feelings towards anything.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 嫌い (kirai)
Meaning: Disliked; hated. This is one of the most common words for expressing dislike.
Example Sentence: 彼は野菜が嫌いです。
(Kare wa yasai ga kirai desu.)
"He dislikes vegetables."
2. 嫌な (iya na)
Meaning: Unpleasant; disgusting; nasty.
Example Sentence: 今日は嫌なことがあった。
(Kyō wa iya na koto ga atta.)
"I had an unpleasant experience today."
3. 機嫌 (kigen)
Meaning: Mood; humor (e.g., good or bad mood).
Example Sentence: 彼女は今日、機嫌がいい。
(Kanojo wa kyō, kigen ga ii.)
"She is in a good mood today."
4. 嫌う (kirau)
Meaning: To hate; to detest; to have an aversion to.
Example Sentence: 猫は水を嫌うことが多い。
(Neko wa mizu o kirau koto ga ōi.)
"Cats often dislike water."
In summary, 嫌 is a potent kanji for expressing aversion, ranging from simple dislikes (嫌い) to strong distaste (嫌な). It also appears in the common word 機嫌, which describes a person's emotional state.